In Other Words
by Angel Weasel-Woman
Summary: Danny's mother has vanished, and after everything that's happened he's the only one that can find her. In an abandoned castle in Wisconsin, the cursed inhabitants are waiting restlessly. BatB AU. Gift for acid and oil.
1. Chapter 1

"I'll be gone for the next week, sweetie. Don't forget to sign for the grocery delivery on Friday, ok?"

Maddie zipped her final suitcase closed, turning to look at her son in the doorway. His arms were crossed and he was frowning, the pull at his healing split lip painful.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mom?" he asked quietly. "I mean, after what happened with Dad...?"

Maddie smiled reassuringly at her son, a touch of sadness in her eyes. She abandoned her luggage and swept him up in a tight hug. "I know you're worried about me, sweetie, but that's just what being a monster hunter means. Sometimes accidents happen. Besides, this trip will just be a bit of information gathering, I'm not expecting to find anything right off the bat."

Danny leaned into her grasp for a moment before remembering he was a teenager. He wriggled free and wiped his nose roughly. "You're going to miss Jazz coming home. She was really excited to see you again."

Maddie tousled Danny's hair. He made a face, but allowed the touch and she reveled in it. "I'll be sure to call her when I get back. Now remember, Danny." She put her hands on her hips and wagged a finger at him with mock seriousness. "No wild parties. I don't want to get word of you and Sam and Tucker throwing a rager while I'm gone."

Danny groaned. "Please, the most trouble we'll ever get into is staying up past midnight." He frowned again. "Not like you and Dad..."

Maddie hated the bitter air that descended on them. She hugged Danny one more time, squeezing him extra tight, and said. "I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

" _Fly me to the moon/Let me play among the stars_..."

Danny was curled up on the couch, humming slightly off tune to himself. He was trying to read a comic, just like he'd tried to play a game or tried to eat a snack. There was a buzzing in his mind and an ache in his stomach. He could only see his mother loading up two suitcases and a dufflebag into the RV and backing out with a cheery wave.

Not too long ago, it would have been two of them. His dad's giant grin would have seen him and his sister off, his booming voice would have yelled tearful goodbyes at them all the way down the street, even if it was only a day trip.

The pair of them had survived all kinds of monsters since their college days. They'd fought vampires, dodged hexes from faeries, stripped power from witches, always together and always smiling. They invented ways to counter spells, machines were built to contain every elemental beast dusty tomes spoke of.

But now? Maddie was off on her own and Jack was...

Danny jumped as the doorknob turned. He looked over the edge of the couch as his sister walked in the front door, calling out, "Mom? You home?"

"She left a few hours ago." Danny clambered off the couch, flopping his comic on the side table. He grabbed his sister for a hug.

Jazz held him tight for a moment. But she was exhausted from her drive, and the news of her mother's departure wasn't making her feel better. She pushed Danny away to grab her shoulder bag and marched inside, heading for the kitchen. "She knew I was coming home this week. How long will she be gone?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, closing the door and saying quietly, "Until Tuesday, probably."

"Tuesday! But my classes start back up on Monday!" Jazz grabbed a chipped mug from the cabinet. It had been Maddie's all through college and Jazz had usurped it the moment she'd graduated high school. "Mom did remember that, right?"

"She said she was sorry." Danny watched from the living room as Jazz emptied a water bottle into the mug. "But you know how she gets."

"Yeah, I do. Her and Dad, both." Jazz took a long sip. "That's what has me so worried."

Silence reigned between the siblings. Jazz was tired, she'd driven since that morning and she just wanted to collapse in her bed. She'd planned on talking to her mother this week, trying to get the older woman to open up about everything. She'd wanted to go to the history museum together and check out the display on European Folklore and see if her mother could come up with some new theory or have an epiphany for a new device. She'd wanted a girls' night to feel normal, and she'd wanted to talk about her classes she hated and her professors she liked.

"I guess I can take a nap for a while..." Jazz glanced at Danny who'd entered the kitchen. He reminded her of a baby deer – unsure of his footing and ready to bolt a moment's notice. "You want to go out for dinner later?"

"We can?" Jazz smiled at the hope in her little brother's voice. Despite his shy nature and faux macho teenage exterior, he really liked being able to spend time with Jazz.

"Wake me up in about an hour?"

"I can do that." Danny was smiling, brighter than he had in a while despite a slight wince. Jazz frowned, looking closely at his face...

The phone rang and Danny snatched it up quickly. "Hello?"

Jazz could hear a voice, high pitched and chatty. Not their mother. Danny paused for a moment after a lilted noise that must have been a question. "Yeah, Jasmine Fenton is here. Me? I'm her... cousin."

Then Danny shoved the phone in Jazz's hands, stalking out of the kitchen with a dark glower.

"Danny?" Jazz called. She put the phone to her ear, but covered the mouthpiece before shouting, "What happened to you? Where are you going?"

"Out," was the sharp reply. "With Sam or Tucker. I'll be back tonight."

"Wait, don't forget about – " The door slammed shut and Jazz winced at the echo. She removed her hand and asked, "Hello, who is this?"

"This is Amy Steinman with Genius Magazine. Did I call at a bad time?"

Jazz sighed. No wonder Danny was so upset.

"No, no. Did you want to speak with me?"

"Yes, I wanted to try and schedule an interview with you, and perhaps your mother. I can schedule you as early as tonight if you can..."

* * *

Tucker was leaning on the picnic table, tapping away at his phone. The late afternoon sun made the screen hard to see, but he was squinting at it without a care.

"So they, like, called _right_ when she got home?" He gave a low whistle. "That magazine must have some kind of tracker on your sister."

Sam glowered and punched Tucker on the shoulder. "That's not the point, Tucker." She turned her glare on Danny, but softened it just a touch. "And Danny, you -"

"I shouldn't have snapped, I know." Danny huffed. He folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them, looking out at the park. A few families were milling about, a group of teenagers looking rather unsavory but still behaving for the most part. Danny often wondered how many monsters still lived in Amity Park even with his mother around. "It's just that Mom left, Jazz _just_ got home, and I've already lost her to 'Amy Steinman with Genius Magazine.' She's probably already forgotten about getting dinner with me..."

Sam touched him lightly on the shoulder and Danny shrugged her off with a sigh. "I know it's not right to be mad at her. It's not her fault I'm just a dumb kid born into a family of geniuses."

"You're not dumb, Danny," Tucker tried. But Danny had already stopped listening. "You wanna crash at my place tonight?"

"Nah, Jazz'll just get madder if she's all alone on her first day back. Maybe tomorrow." Danny glanced at the sky. The sky was beginning to streak with pinks and oranges. "I'd better get going."

"Don't forget your dad," Sam said quietly. Danny hated to be reminded about it in public, especially if Dash happened to be nearby.

Danny groaned as he stood. He grabbed the chewed up leash and called out into the park, "Jack! Jack, we're going home!"

Across the grounds, blue eyes lit up. A wide grin stretched across Jack's face and he ran as fast as he could toward the sound of his son's voice. As soon as he was close enough, he leapt, slamming into Danny and licking wildly at his face.

Danny sputtered at his dad's usual enthusiastic greeting. Whether gone for a few minutes or all day, Jack never wavered in showing his affections.

"Jack! Ja- Dad! Get down!" Danny laughed. For a brief moment, he ignored the fact that he was in public. He decided to forget that he wold suffer for this at school when it started back up on Wednesday. He wrapped his arms around his dad and hugged him tight.

Sam and Tucker smiled at the pair. From far away, it would look completely normal. A teenage boy and his dog, a huge great dane with salt and pepper fur. His blue eyes were bright and he barked happily, wagging his whole body excitedly.

A faerie's curse one year ago had changed Jack Fenton from middle aged man to young puppy, and Maddie had yet to find a counter spell to cure him. They were still unsure if the man's mind was gone, or if his childlike love of fairy tales and his children just fit in perfectly with that of his canine form. But rumors spread like wildfire in Amity Park, and it wasn't long before Danny felt the full brunt of his family's quirks and oddities.

Jack whined as the leash clipped to his bright orange collar, and Danny gave him a sad smile. "Sorry, Dad. I don't want to be stopped for violating the leash law again." He looked at his friends and gave a small wave. "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

This is a gift fic for the amazing acid_and_oil who wanted a BatB AU that wasn't like all the others. I don't know where you went, but I hope if you find this that you're happy where you are.

 _I've heard it said_  
 _That people come into our lives for a reason_  
 _Bringing something we must learn_  
 _And we are led_  
 _To those who help us most to grow_  
 _If we let them_  
 _And we help them in return_  
 _Well, I don't know if I believe that's true_  
 _But I know I'm who I am today_  
 _Because I knew you..._  
 _\- For Good, Wicked OBC_


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie drove the RV slowly, carefully glancing at the GPS to make sure she wasn't about to get lost on the snowy roads. She'd never been to these particular backwoods of Wisconsin before, not even with Jack.

She sighed softly, glancing at the locket hanging from the rear view mirror. It contained the last family picture they'd all taken together. Before Jazz left for college, before Jack was cursed, before Danny withdrew into himself. They all used to be so close, so supportive of each other.

And then Jazz had gotten the highest score on record for the C.A.T. Magazines and news stations from around the country had started calling, asking to speak to the genius daughter from Amity Park. Maddie and Jack had been so proud of her, and when Danny had finally taken the test...

Within normal testing range. Slightly above average.

They hadn't been _completely_ disappointed. They tried not to let it show on their faces as they congratulated him. Took him out to dinner to celebrate like they had with Jazz. Told him they were proud of him.

That was the first night that Danny stayed in his room, ignoring the phone as calls continued to come in for his sister.

Maddie had tried to reach out to him, but Jack told her to let him be. He would find himself soon, sooner than with his mother hovering over his shoulder. And he had started to get better. He emerged from his room a bit more often, started staying out with his friends a bit later.

Then Jack had been cursed. Monster hunts had become more dangerous on her own, so her attention had slipped. Jazz had been ok, she'd made it to college and moved into her own dorm across the country. She was making new friends and enjoying her studies.

Danny had been suspended for fighting two days before winter break had started.

Maddie sighed, parking the RV. For a moment, she paused. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself in a sing-song murmur, " _Fill my life with song/And let me sing forever more_..."

It was a silly thing, she knew. But her and Jack's first date had ended with a dance to that song. She had walked down the isle to it instead of a traditional wedding march. They listened to it in their car the entire drive when they'd moved to Amity Park. It played when Jazz was conceived and when Danny was born. The song itself was as integral to her family as monster hunting was to her own self. She used to sing it as a lullaby when Jack went out on solo missions and she used it now to bring that warmth of family that she so desperately needed and missed.

Determined now, she grabbed her dufflebag and hoisted it over her shoulder. The machines and inventions inside clanked together, a dull noise that didn't echo even in the vast yard of the castle she'd come to. Thick iron bars surrounded the grounds, snow piled high on unruly rosebushes. There was a great fountain centered before her, the overgrowth of dead ivy keeping the crumbling stone together. Even in the dead of winter, there was a ring of green moss around the inside of the dried out fountain.

The castle itself sprawled out, dark stone reaching high into the sky streaked with the setting sun. Though it had been long abandoned, various windows boarded shut for generations, the roof had never caved in. The door still swung open under her touch without a squeak. Dust clung to the walls and the floor, filling the air with every step. Maddie adjusted her hazmat suit, pulling the collar up to cover her mouth and nose so she wouldn't choke.

Plus, in a castle said to be as haunted as this one, she never knew what magic permeated the very fabric of its being.

The cold of the Wisconsin winter was left behind as she carefully made her way down the expansive entrance hall. She reached up to her hazmat suit, activating the LED flashlight in her plunging black collar and illuminating the mansion's interior. Plush emerald rugs adorned the floor, muffling her footsteps, and she ran a fingertip through the dust on the walls to reveal stone washed with golden paint.

Maddie paused at the glimmer of a crystal vase, still sparkling even under all the layers of dust and grime. She inspected it carefully, realizing that it wasn't crystal – it was carved from a single, gigantic diamond! And the single rose she carefully picked up between her fingertips wasn't hardened and dried with age, it was made from solid gold with glittering emerald leaves and razor sharp thorns. Every petal was a thin, beautifully crafted slice of ruby and, as Maddie twisted the rose, her light caught on several small diamond "dewdrops".

Everything within screamed wealth and she thought to the carefully logged notes in her computer at home and her laptop in the RV as she placed the rose back in its vase.

Every burglar that tried to rob this castle's splendor had gone mad.

Every transient that tried to make this castle their home had their bodies found outside, twisted and mangled.

Every bank that tried to possess the land went under, every mogul trying to take it for themselves became homeless.

But none of that was the true curse of the castle.

It was said a rich lord had come from Europe at the turn of the century, built his castle as a testament to his wealth and status. He hosted no visitors, sired no clan, lived out his long and wealthy life completely and utterly alone. And after his death, as his castle began to fall into ruins, nearby women had started going missing. Vanishing without a trace, without a word to others.

Some came back months later, some came back years later.

All of them had come back without any memories, clinging to some priceless treasure.

Jeweled scepters, golden crowns, diamonds larger than some of the women's fists, each item glittering and sparkling and worth more than what the women and their families could spend in several lifetimes.

No one knew where it all came from. The few that survived the trips into the castle saw no signs of riches, knew of no place a dragon's horde of treasures could be hidden.

Maddie wasn't interested in any of that. She wanted to find the rich lord's apparition responsible for the kidnapping of women and destroy it, to bring peace of mind back to a small town that reached out for help.

Then, maybe, she could try and help her own family afterwards.

She turned off her flashlight and lowered her goggles, looking at the mansion's interior through a bright red haze. Readouts flashed before her eyes, analyzing the glittering traces of magic that hung in the air with the dust motes. The spectral force swirled about her, shimmering ropes draping lightly about her limbs and urging her deeper within the castle.

Maddie's footsteps echoed in the grand hall, and she reached for the holster at her thigh. The cold feel of the silvery weapon, designed to bring spirits to their knees, gave her slight comfort. She had yet to see any spectral entity, but that didn't mean anything. Whatever monster it was could be anywhere, hiding and waiting for her to let her guard down.

She passed through an ornate doorway, intricately sculpted around deep green emeralds that glittered in the firelight.

Firelight?

The gun was in Maddie's hands, her body tense and ready to spring to action. She had emerged into a large, beautiful, if rather dusty, sitting room. A plush chair faced a roaring fire, looking enticingly comfortable. Golden light reflected into the room, gold and jewel inlaid portrait frames sparkling, crystal goblets shimmering, and a king's ransom in gold coins scattered across the floor glowing with every warm flicker.

It was all too perfectly laid out.

Maddie whirled about, ready to flee the room. She was unprepared for a direct attack, Jack usually being the one to remind her that ghosts didn't usually wait for her to complete her recon, and she had left most of her equipment in the RV.

Glowing red eyes bore into hers and she dropped the gun.

* * *

Jazz was doing her winter homework on the dining table, but she looked up when she heard the front door close. Danny had kicked off his shoes and taken Jack off his leash, the large dog running to his daughter to lay his head in her lap. Jazz scratched absently behind his ears, smiling at her brother as he wandered into the kitchen.

"How were Sam and Tucker?" Jazz asked. She flipped the page in her her psychology book and offered Danny the seat next to her.

Danny shrugged and ignored the open chair, meandering to the fridge. He poked his head inside, inhaling the cool air without really looking at anything. He hadn't been feeling too hungry lately, his stomach full of stress. Break would be ending soon, and he'd _have_ to back to school...

He grabbed a protein drink he didn't even want and shook it. He could feel Jazz's eyes on him, waiting for him to open up or break down or say anything.

"They're fine. I'll probably go to Tuck's tomorrow for dinner, so you don't have to worry about making anything." He cracked open the lid and took a sip, narrowly avoiding making a face. Powdery strawberry. Gross. He faked a yawn and turned his back on Jazz when she looked up at him. "Dad wore me out at the park today, so I'm heading to bed. Night, Jazz."

And he ran upstairs, locking his door behind him.

He poured the rest of his drink out the window.


	3. Chapter 3

Jazz was on the phone early every morning the whole week she was home. Her chirping voice, giving out interview answers, drew Danny out of his precious sleep each day and he usually wandered into the kitchen without changing out of his pajamas. She would watch him out of the corner of her eye as he poured his bowl of cereal, sitting at the table with a sigh. She usually covered the speaker of the phone and mouthed at her brother, "Are you ok?"

Danny always ignored her, digging into his breakfast with a quiet hum.

Jack took his usual spot, laying on the floor by Danny's feet. He'd spent each night curled up on Maddie's side of the bed and sighing dejectedly when she didn't come home far earlier than expected. Just as he did every time Maddie went on a solo mission.

Few words were exchanged between the siblings, maybe a hug in the mornings before Danny left to hang out with his friends. Some days he took Jack out with him, other days he left his father with Jazz to look after. He stayed out late, usually eating dinner with Tucker or Sam and sometimes crashing over at their homes instead of going back to his.

Danny was used to his sister being on the phone or locked up in her room doing homework. He told himself it didn't bother him. It wasn't Jazz's fault that she was a genius and he wasn't. It didn't hurt him that she was practically famous and never had time for him anymore. It was easier, really, to call himself her cousin rather than her brother. That way he didn't have to hear the disappointment in the voices of reporters as they slowly realized he was nothing more than normal, a complete moron in comparison.

So when he came home Saturday evening, he didn't think twice about seeing his sister sitting at the dining table, phone to her ear. He hung his jacket up in the closet and wandered into the kitchen to rummage for something to eat. The grocery delivery had come by the other day, so the shelves were stocked for another week. It was something Maddie had set up long before Jack's accident. The pair used to travel for long periods of time and there had been instances where they'd been stuck, by magic or by weather, for days longer than they'd planned to be gone. This way, with weekly deliveries, Maddie could be sure that there was always fresh food in the house for her children.

"I'll be sure to let him know, thank you," Jazz was saying as Danny grabbed another protein drink. He double checked to make sure it wasn't strawberry before cracking the lid. For the first time since she'd been home, Danny watched as Jazz hung up the phone.

"What's up?" he asked, voice picking up despite himself. Jack walked over to him, shoving his head under Danny's hand to be scratched behind his ears. "Setting up another radio interview?"

"No," Jazz said sternly. She crossed her arms across her chest and gave Danny her best disappointed look. "That was Mr. Lancer. He wanted to make sure you remembered that, while school starts on Wednesday for everyone else, your suspension is still on until Monday."

Danny flinched under his sister's glare. He tried to hide in his drink, but he could still feel her burning stare on him.

"You got into a _fight,_ Danny?" Jazz chastised. "You've never been in a fight in your life!"

Danny drummed his fingers on his drink, almost dropping it. He hated that tone of voice being directed at him. The one all of his teachers used after his first test scores of the year, the one reporters used when he told them his grade point average, the one his parents used when he asked for help with homework. He _knew_ he wasn't as good as Jazz, as good as the rest of his family, and he hated being reminded of it.

"Danny, what did you do?"

Danny scowled and threw what was left of his drink in the garbage. "It was nothing, Jazz."

"You got _suspended_. That's not 'nothing'." Jazz tried to convey the worry in her voice, but she wasn't sure if her brother could hear it.

"What do you want me to do, then?" Danny snapped. "What should I do when Dash chases me around the gym with a _dog whistle_ every day? What do you want me to say when he calls me a mutt or tells me to heel?!"

Jazz sighed. She'd heard things had gotten bad with Dash since she'd graduated, but Danny hadn't said much. "That's not an excuse to get into a fight."

"I didn't want to! I just..." Danny looked away. "I can deal with all that – he doesn't really mess with me after school." Jazz didn't need to know about the times when Dash cornered him in the park. "He was being obnoxious. Saying things like 'where's your collar' and telling me to bark. I ignored him like you told me to, but he was just getting worse and worse. Then he..." Danny glanced at Jazz. She was giving him this oddly soft look he couldn't recognize. Probably blaming herself for his bad behavior. "He asked me if... If mom 'actually married the dog or just fucked it.' I snapped, Jazz! I didn't want him making fun of Mom, so I told him to shut up and leave me alone!"

"And the fight...?"

Danny shrugged roughly. Jazz didn't look angry any more, a frown pulling at her lips. Great, her last day home and he'd managed to ruin it. "Lancer happened to walk out of the classroom right as Dash walloped me."

Jazz knitted her eyebrows together. "That's not a fight, Danny. That's assault."

Danny shoved his hands in his pockets, turning to go to his room. He hated talking about Dash. "According to Zero Tolerance Bullying Policy, once the first punch is thrown, it's a fight. Besides, I 'instigated it' by opening my big mouth."

Jazz stood. She wanted to reach out and pull her brother close, but he ducked out from under her grasp.

"Wake me up before you leave tomorrow so I can say bye."

* * *

Jack whined, rearing up to put his paws on Jazz's shoulders and lick her cheek as stood next to her car. She'd packed early that morning, stuffing her trunk full of homework, books, and clean laundry, and now she scratched Jack behind his ears and under his collar as she waited for Danny to finish breakfast.

"I need to head out soon, otherwise I'm going to hit all that church traffic," she called through the open door. Jack had given Jazz his best "you weren't raised in a barn" look, which was quite a feat for the great dane.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Danny grumbled. He stirred his spoon through his soggy cereal. He wasn't a little kid anymore, stalling like this wouldn't convince Jazz to stay another few days until their mother came back. All it would do is make him miss seeing his sister for the next six months until summer break.

He yawned and stretched as he stood, slowly meandering to the front stoop. He felt jealousy burn in his chest as he watched Jazz pet Jack without having to worry about someone catching her. Without having to worry about the whispers at school, or the bullies in the bathrooms. She could show her family affection and be back in school where everyone just thought Jack and Maddie were "eccentric" instead of "insane".

Jazz hugged Jack and he sat by her side, tail wagging slowly as she put her hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'll talk to you tonight."

Danny leaned into the touch for a moment. "If you answer your cell."

Jazz smiled. "Then I'll call _you_."

Danny hugged his sister tightly for a moment, mumbling into her suddenly wet shoulder. "You'd better."

And then Jazz was in her car, waving as she drove away.

Danny wiped his nose roughly, glad his lip was healed by now. He glanced at Jack whose head was hung low, tail still and ears drooped. "Let's go inside, Dad. Nothing left for us two out here."

* * *

" _Let me see what spring is like_..."

A few phone calls came in, but they ended quickly when Danny told whoever it was from whatever station or magazine that Jazz was gone back to school.

" _On Jupiter and Mars..._ "

Jack looked at his food bowl, nosing around the contents without eating them before slowly lumbering to his bedroom.

" _In other words..._ "

As the sun set, the cursed dog curled up on his empty bed, leaving Danny all by himself in the living room, waiting for Jazz to call.

" _... Hold my... hand..._ "


	4. Chapter 4

Danny reached down to pat Jack on the head as he passed by. He was sitting at the empty kitchen table, piecing together a wooden model rocket. It had been sitting in the back of his closet for a while, waiting for when Jazz had enough free time to help him with it. He reached for a piece of wing and the superglue, eyes flicking to the microwave clock as he hummed, loud and out of tune.

Maddie was supposed to have been back that morning. Or at least to have called about the weather blocking her in somewhere.

Jack whined. He wanted to put his head in Danny's lap, but he'd had superglue on his nose before (as a dog _and_ as a human) and wanted to stay away from the foul smelling chemical. He barked once, a deep noise that echoed in the living room.

"I don't even know where Mom _is_ ," Danny said, carefully aligning the thin strips of wood. "I have no idea where to look up the weather for."

Jack whined, tail drooping between his legs. He flopped on the floor with a _whuff_ and sighed deeply.

"She's probably just running late," Danny said. The pieces fit together perfectly and he added a small drop of glue. "Mom'll come walking in the door any minute now. I know she will."

Danny worked diligently on his model. He carefully cut away excess wood with an unimaginably sharp craft blade, gluing each piece in its perfect place. He tossed the scraps and replaced the protective layer of newspaper. A wide brush painted on the base layers of white, small details filling in soon after.

Danny stood once to turn on the kitchen light as the sun slowly set.

Neither he nor Jack got up to answer the door that day.

* * *

Danny wanted to text his friends, but they were probably in class by now. He wanted to go to the park with Jack, but there would be nothing but retirees and snow. He'd already placed his model on the shelf in his room with the others, and gone through his wallet to see if he had enough cash to pick up another one.

He didn't. Maddie was supposed to give him his allowance when she got back.

Jack had wandered downstairs and laid in front of the door for a few hours, sighing every so often. When the chill from the outside became too much, he wandered back to the bedroom to crawl under the sheets.

Danny lay back against the couch, comic in his lap, lips moving silently. He watched out the window without turning a single page, waiting for the RV to roll into the driveway.

* * *

Jack was scratching at the door to the downstairs lab, whining loudly despite the early hour. Danny had closed the door behind him, knowing that Jack's odd body still wasn't the most graceful in a semi-dangerous lab. Especially if any stray weapons happened to lock onto the magic that kept him trapped in his canine form.

Danny tore through every drawer he could find, flipping through every notebook and stack of paper. Maddie was organized, she _had_ to have written down where she was going. A few half finished weapons clattered to the floor, but Danny didn't care. His mother could yell at him when she came home!

He collapsed in a duct taped office chair, rolling back a few inches with a weary groan. Maddie wasn't answering her phone, and Danny had no idea where she'd driven off to. She probably meant to leave a note on the fridge, like usual, but he'd been so needy and clingy the morning she left that he'd made her forget!

He leaned forward on the desk, holding his head in his hands with a seep sigh. What was he going to do? With Maddie gone and Jack as a dog, what would happen to him and Jazz?

His eyes flickered across the desktop, catching on a post it note, still new and curled.

44.52, -88.01

An odd sort of math problem... And all on its own?

Danny grabbed the note and charged up the stairs, almost tripping over Jack who was barking in confusion. He flung open the kitchen door to his junker car, bought to be fixed up for his birthday last year and still without a heater or working fuel gauge. He reached into the glove box, fishing around for a clunky, old model GPS he'd saved up months worth of allowances for.

The car sputtered and shuddered as he started it up, plugging in the small machine and bouncing his heel impatiently as he waited for it to chime to life. Jack whined, hesitating on the side porch. Danny wasn't sure if it was directed at him or the still empty space the RV usually occupied.

The load screen flashed and Danny quickly punched in the numbers, no, the coordinates. The GPS took its time, blue bar twitching along as it loaded...

Somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin. A red pin point in a blob of green.

This had to be where Maddie had gone to!

Danny leaned out the window as he buckled in, post it note stuffed in the middle console. "Dad, I'm going to get Mom. Just stay here in case she gets home before I do. It's going to be about a day's drive to where this thing says she went."

Jack sat on the porch, tail thumping against the concrete. There was a worried look on the dane's face and Danny grimaced. "I can't take you with me, Dad. What if Mom _does_ come home before I do? She'd flip if there was no one here."

Danny glanced in the rearview mirror, making sure the street was clear. "We should be back tomorrow night – I _promise_ Dad."

Jack barked, the loud sound echoing even over the roar of Danny's engine. He watched as the car took off, a single break light flashing before vanishing down the street. A low whine escaped his throat and he lay down, placing his head on his paws and huffing sadly.

* * *

Danny's CD player was on repeat the whole time, Frank Sinatra's voice close to driving him insane. He kept his eye on his mileage, filling up as often as he could with the emergency credit card he'd snatched out of the kitchen. The GPS didn't tell him if there were any gas stations near Maddie's red pin, and he didn't want to get stuck like he was certain his mother was.

Because she'd obviously run out of gas somewhere in the middle of the woods. It was probably the reason she hadn't called – no cell service in the middle of nowhere. Danny would find her, he'd pick her up and bring her to town where they could call AAA to tow the RV to the closest gas station. Then, they'd go home and he could go back to school on Monday without such a heavy weight on his shoulders.

He drove all day, from city to town to city, following the green line on his scratched up GPS. He didn't stop to eat, grabbing a soda and a candy bar when he was already deep in Wisconsin just to appease his rumbling stomach. There were more and more trees coming up along the sides of the highway, and he actually breathed a sigh of relief when he turned onto a feeder road. The further he got from civilization, the closer he was going to get to Maddie.

The sun was beginning to set and Danny raised a hand to block out the golden light. His sun visor was wired into place and of no use, but Danny was determined to continue on. He was getting closer, his GPS stuttering as it tried to keep his signal. He had to get to his mother, find her, and bring her home. Jack and Jazz would hate Danny if he couldn't so this one simple thing.

Two more miles. That was what his static-filled GPS told him. Then he'd find the behemoth of an RV with his poor mother inside. Rocks and dirt crunched under his tires, having abandoned the paved roads some time ago, and for a moment, Danny was worried he would become stuck himself. His little blue arrow had long since meandered off the green line, but his GPS was so far gone it didn't matter. Danny had memorized the end route, how many twists and turns it would take until he reached his destination. He reached over, unplugging the machine as he drove through thick, unruly woods. Why would Maddie come out here in the first place...?

A huge mansion, no, a _castle_ emerged as the trees cleared suddenly, making Danny's eyes widen.

That was probably why.

Danny drove up through the iron gate, almost hitting a grand fountain when he spotted the neon green paint, proudly proclaiming Fenton Works, splashed across the monstrous RV. He slammed on the breaks and flung himself out of his car, letting the junker idle, music spilling out into the desolate openness.

" _Mom_?!"

The RV was ice cold under his hands and he yanked on the handle. Frost crackled, the door slowly giving way as Danny stumbled inside. "Mom!"

But it was empty.

Danny's chest heaved, breathing the stale air. Folders were tossed carelessly in the passenger seat, and Maddie's usual luggage was still strapped to the back seat. It was as though she had parked the RV and never come back to it. Had something happened to her?

Danny swallowed harshly. He knew his mother could defend herself, she was a 9th degree black belt after all, but she was just one woman used to working with a partner. All it took was for someone to sneak up on her, knock her out and then...

" _Mom!_ "

The snow on the grounds was undisturbed, a fresh white layer that Danny kicked up in flurries as he scrambled around, shouting for his mother until his throat ached from the strain and the cold. He collapsed against the edge of the fountain, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. He pressed his chin to his chest and clenched his teeth. He had to _think_ for once in his life!

Would Maddie have stayed in the RV if it had broken down? No. It was cold inside even this late in the day, she would have frozen to death like Danny felt he was going to right now. He looked up, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. His mom would have gotten out of the car. She would have looked for somewhere warm to ride out her wait.

She would have gone inside the castle.

Danny took a deep breath, mentally berating himself for being so scatter brained. If Jazz had been the one to come here, she would have immediately walked up to the front door. Heck, Jazz would be halfway home with her by now, he was sure.

He rubbed at the back of his neck, icy fingers sending a shiver down his spine. He took a deep breath through his nose, feeling the cold deep in his lungs. It only made sense that Maddie was in the castle. He chafed his arms to try and warm them back up and he trudged through the snow up to the front door. He wondered for a moment if he should knock, shaking his head to quickly dismiss the idea. This castle was obviously long deserted and he would only make himself look like a fool.

The door swung open with the slightest touch, gliding soundlessly across the floor.

"Mom?" Danny's voice echoed through the expansive hallway. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, undisturbed for many years. He thought he saw something glittering, a sparkle or a shimmer, but Danny walked right by it. He had more important things to worry about right now.

"Mom, where are you?" Danny cupped his hands around his mouth as he called out. He paused, listening to his own voice as it was thrown back at him. Was Maddie really here? She didn't try to walk to town, did she? No, she _knew_ to stay in one place, just like she'd always told him and Jazz when they were little.

Suddenly, he felt... warm?

Danny looked around. In a room full of dust, with air so thick and stale it was choking him, a fireplace burned merrily.

"Mom!"

Maddie _had_ to be here. She must have lit the fire herself, staying safe and warm inside instead of waiting in the freezing snow for someone to come for her. Danny felt a twinge of guilt for taking so long, for making his mother wait for rescue. He looked around the grand room, ignoring the plush chair, the glittering glasses and frames, and even the gold and gems sprawled across the floor.

But it was completely empty.

He walked away from the inviting fireplace, calling out for his mother. He could warm up later, when he knew Maddie was safe.

The hallways were huge, looming ceilings vanishing into the darkness above him, and he passed by more locked doors than he could count. He kicked up dust with every step, making him sneeze and his eyes water until he had to lean against the wall for support. He scrubbed at his nose with the hem of his shirt and tried not to gag at the crud accumulating on him. He had to get out of here and soon.

"Mom, where did you go...?"

He was about to walk off again, continue searching this whole castle room by room if necessary, when he heard a noise. A soft rattling, a gentle whisper. The door at the end of the hall shifted, cracking open as though pushed by a phantom hand.

Danny felt a shiver run through him, the same as when his ice cold fingers touched his skin. Maddie had always warned him and his sister away from magic, telling them to never trust something they couldn't see.

But what if she was back there? Magic or no, he would never forgive himself if he left without finding her.

As silently as he could, Danny padded down the hallway. His fingertips trembled and he swallowed hard. He held his breath and carefully peeked into the room.

It was a bedroom, taken over by a huge bed overflowing with the softest looking sheets and blankets. A huge wardrobe almost covered the far wall with one door ajar to expose dozens of dresses, each one more exquisite than the last, embroidered with golden thread, gems woven into the fabric, silk and lace intricately stitched together in beautiful patterns. Heavy drapes were closed against the window, deep emerald overlaid with delicate lace, and the only light was a gem encrusted candelabra, flickering and bathing the room in a warm glow.

And there, sitting on the bed in a dress so fluffy it was piled up high around her hips, was Maddie.

Danny slammed his hands over his mouth before he would cry out for her. It wasn't just his mother in the room. A tall man, with the blue flesh of one long dead and dressed in an old fashioned white tunic with a red and white cape billowing out behind him, stood over Maddie.

No.

He was _floating_ over Maddie, leather and gold boots hovering several inches above the floor. Black hair was pulled up, stylized into two large horns and solid red eyes glowed as he reached out to cup Maddie's cheeks. His lips moved, long fangs glinting in the candlelight as he spoke in a voice as rich and smooth as imported cream, "Will you stay with me forever?"

Danny watched as Maddie lifted her head. Her eyes were glazed, expression dull. For a brief flash of a moment, Danny saw the same red light glow behind Maddie's gaze as her lips parted.

She was under a spell, he realized. She hadn't gotten lost – she'd been caught! He couldn't just stand there anymore, he had to help her!

Danny ran into the room, door bouncing off the wall as he slammed it open. The blue skinned specter looked up, eyes widening in surprise. Danny knew he didn't have the training to take on a creature such as this, nor the strength to hold his own, but he knew it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he kept his mother safe.

" _Get away from her_!"

Danny's hands burned with cold as he slammed them into the creature's frozen chest, shoving him as hard as he could. The floating man fell back just an inch as Danny stood between him and Maddie. His eyes flashed red once, the glow quickly dying away as he glared.

"Who are you?" the man demanded in a deep growl. "What are you doing in my home?"

Danny swallowed hard, trying not to let the fear show in his trembling arms. If he could distract this monster long enough for his mother to snap out of it, hopefully she could make a run for it.

"Leave my mom alone, she hasn't done anything to you!" Danny snapped. He tried to motion behind him, a signal to tell his mother to leave. If there was anything left of her, he knew she would want to escape.

Maddie continued to sit there, with her fluffy dress and her vacant eyes.

The man reached out, one black glove wrapping around Danny's throat with a warning squeeze.

" _She_ wandered into _my_ house. She is my prisoner, and I shall do with her as I please."

Danny gagged, reaching up to claw at the soft fabric of the man's sleeves. He wasn't being choked past the point of breathing, but he knew this thing could change his mind in a heartbeat. His lips trembled as his mind raced, trying to find a way out of this. There was no way he could leave his mother here, she was needed back at home. She needed to find a way to cure Jack, she had to be there for Jazz when she graduated, she had a home and a family to care for!

The hand on Danny's throat tightened in warning and Danny croaked, "... I'll stay."

Red eyes narrowed and the man frowned. "What did you just say?"

Danny dug his fingers into the man's gloves. The pressure lightened and he gasped to fill his aching lungs. "Let my mom go, and I'll stay in her place!"

"And why would I do that? She trespassed into my home, she tried to take my things without asking."

"I did the same," Danny insisted. He stared directly into those terrifying eyes as he spoke. "If you're going to punish someone, punish me. Let her go, she has a family that needs her and I..." Danny swallowed hard as he thought of his dad and his sister. He remembered the disappointment in their eyes when he brought home report cards and the way they could never hold the same level of conversation with him as they could each other. "I don't. No one will care if I'm gone, so no one will break in again to look for me."

The monster's eyebrows drew together, and he frowned in thought. The fingers on Danny's neck twitched once, barely tightening before letting go. Danny slumped backwards against the edge of the massive bed, reaching up to cradle his throat as the man turned his attention to Maddie. For a moment, Danny thought he would attack her, but he simply snapped, "You! Leave my castle and go back to whence you came!"

Maddie stood, swaying on her feet. The red glow was back in her eyes as she turned to wander out of the room, swaying side to side.

"Mom!" Danny tried to call out. He'd hoped he would have been able to tell her goodbye at least. But she was gone, rounding the corner and vanishing from his sight without a word.

The man then rounded on Danny, eyes flashing as he looked the boy over. "You vowed to take her place, so you shall remain here as my prisoner."

Danny closed his eyes, trying not to flinch as he felt that freezing presence draw closer. What would happen to him now? Would he be attacked? Eaten? Worked to death as a slave? Or...

He _had_ found Maddie in a bedroom...

A touch of freezing air drew away Danny's breath and the sound of the door slamming closed made him jump. His eyes flew open and when he looked around, he found that he was all alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Danny fell back against the bed, collapsing into the plush blankets. His lips trembled, but he couldn't bring himself to find comfort in his family's precious song. He placed his hands over his mouth and tried to breathe. Mind blank except for one question.

What had he done?

 _Mom is safe_ , he told himself. _Mom's safe, and she's going home._

That was what he'd come to accomplish. That had been his only goal when he'd left home. He had, of course, assumed his own safety, but...

Now his parents wouldn't have to worry about him. Now, they could focus all their love and resources on the kid that deserved it. Jazz could flourish without worrying about Danny bringing her down, calling to ask for help with his classes while she was obviously busy studying. Maddie could expend all her efforts on curing Jack instead of having to deal with Danny's outbursts at school that called her in to parent-teacher meetings twice a month. Sam and Tucker wouldn't have to worry about Dash associating them with the half-dog of Casper High.

Danny realized, miserably, that everyone he knew would be better off now that he was here. Being this creature's slave or dinner would only be beneficial to everyone else in the long run.

He stood on legs that still shook with adrenaline, carefully reaching out to the curtains. Heavy velvet and lace jerked and twitched before slowly moving back. The window was barred with what seemed to be solid gold, a glittering cage that overlooked the vast gardens and dried out fountain.

The RV was already gone, fresh tracks through the snow leading through the iron gates that were now closed tightly and overgrown with sharp looking rosebushes.

Maddie was long gone, without a single word to her son.

Danny wrapped his arms around himself, turning his back on the torturous view of freedom. For a moment, he had no idea what to do, what to expect of his captor. Perhaps he would just be forgotten about and left to die?

His stomach growled loudly, echoing off the golden stone walls.

Danny couldn't help himself. He laughed. He fell into the bed and roared until his chest ached and he was gasping for air. Of course he was hungry! The last thing he'd eaten was half a candy bar he'd bought hours ago as some kind of makeshift breakfast.

"Great, I'm trapped in some monster's lair and all I can think about is getting a freaking sandwich!"

Of all the absurd things!

He felt a sudden cool wind, like a summer breeze ruffling his hair. It wasn't the icy harshness of the blue skinned creature, but Danny opened his eyes nonetheless.

A china plate hovered in front of him, thick cuts of meat piled up between two slices of dark, hand cut bread. Rich smelling juice puddled on the plate, dripping from the invitingly warm cuts. Danny stared for a moment, the plate inching closer.

"N-no thank you!" he yelped, pushing himself back on the bed. There was _no_ way he was going to eat something made of magic in this haunted place.

The plate shifted in the air, hesitating, before setting down on the solid wood table beside the bed. Then the cool breeze was gone, leaving Danny alone with his magical sandwich, teasing and tantalizing him with its wonderful aroma.

Danny glared at the offending thing, drawing his knees up to his chest. He grabbed at his jeans to keep from snatching up the plate and forced his attention out the window, silently watching as the world moved on without him.

* * *

The sun was starting to sink outside of his golden bars, filling the sky with a pale orange light. The sandwich remained on the side table, meat gone cold and the juices congealed on the plate. Danny kept his mouth shut, even as his stomach snarled and his lips cried out for something to drink. He had half a large coffee in his car, disgustingly burnt and only bought as a means to keep from falling asleep at the wheel, but the one time he'd gotten back up to look, his car was gone from the gardens. The way the branches in the trees beyond the gate swayed promised more snow on the way, and Danny was certain that, come sunrise, the RV's tracks would be long gone.

He licked at his lips, voice cracking as he whispered, "So now what?"

He wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to whatever spirit that had conjured his untouched meal.

"What happens to me? Is that thing going to come back?" He glanced at the door, closed tightly. "Or am I going to rot alone in this room?"

There was that touch of a cool breeze, a caress on his cheek like he'd never felt before, and the door swung open without a sound.

Danny hesitated. He was already caught, how much more trouble could he get in? Besides, the door had opened on its own. He clambered off the bed and poked his head into the hallway. It was just as empty as before, only now with a touch of fear. He hesitated, just a moment.

And then he wandered out to explore the castle.

* * *

For being a huge mansion, bigger than Danny could have ever imagined, it certainly was boring. The whole hallway he was in (the section? Wing?) was nothing but bedrooms, each one containing giant, soft beds, covered in dusty comforters with thick curtains drawn tightly shut. Every wardrobe was filled to bursting with dresses, heavy with embroidered jewels and golden thread, light and full with silky skirts and lacy sleeves, form fitted velvet (though fitted to who, Danny didn't know), and billowing chiffon. He looked in dresser drawers, finding jewelry and gold coins and glittering and sparkling stones that he couldn't even name scattered about carelessly.

Danny sighed and trudged down a grand staircase that opened to an even grander hallway. Everywhere he looked was dust and gold and he was getting tired of looking at all of it.

"What does a ghost need with all this junk anyway?" he grumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. The chill of the castle had retreated some time ago, leaving him pleasantly warm and almost relaxed. He glanced up and down the hallway, arbitrarily choosing a direction and shuffling along.

Aside the cool presence bringing the abandoned sandwich and opening the door, he'd been left completely and utterly alone. That specter, so terrifying and angry, seemed to have vanished completely.

Danny had found the front door, the tracked in snow long gone. He had placed his hands upon it. He had been so close to freedom, to leaving.

But where would he have gone?

His car had vanished, civilization was so far past the trees and the snow. He would have died from exposure.

And, besides, he'd promised the monster he would stay.

No, that wasn't right.

He'd promised he would stay _in exchange for his mother_. If he left now, what would happen to her? Would the ghost track her down and snatch her back? Or would whatever magic that had its hold on her simply kill her?

Danny had quickly retreated from the door.

He passed by sitting rooms and by ball rooms and by huge rooms that seemed unfinished but still glittered under a layer of grime. Every door opened freely under his touch, swinging open without a hitch and without a sound. Every fireplace burned warmly without bellowing soot and smoke. The last rays of sunlight peeked through stained glass without even a chip or a ripple. Despite the outer appearance of disrepair and the buildup of age, everything within the castle seemed to be at peak performance.

He stepped out of a large sitting room, plush couches gray with dust but still soft and comfortable, and stood in the hallway. His stomach snarled at him and he wrapped his arm about his middle. What could he do now? He was getting desperate enough to find his was back to his room and eat the cold sandwich, magic be damned.

A warm smell drifted past his nose. The sound of something heavy moving echoed down the hallway.

Danny shifted, rocking from foot to foot. Should he investigate and run the risk of running into the ghost again? Or should he go and hide back in his room?

A gentle brush, soft and cool at his shoulder, made him jump. It was the same as before, the comforting touch that coaxed him to explore the castle. Nothing bad had happened then, so he took a deep breath and decided to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny was led by that soft touch to a large dining room. A table long enough for twenty and made of solid, dark wood stretched out before him. A runner made of golden thread glowed in the flickering light of the candles burning along the walls, dishes made from perfectly cut emeralds were perfectly aligned with rows of empty chairs that looked more like individual thrones, and the last remnants of the sun poured in through intricately stained glass windows to cast colorful shadows across the marble floor.

He shifted from foot to foot, absently wrapping an arm around his empty stomach. The room was warm, far warmer than what just the candles could put off, and he could smell something amazing coming from beyond the far door. Should he try and find the kitchen?

Something fiery hot shoved past him, almost burning his flesh and he gasped. It felt like laying on the pavement on a summer day, or when he'd been a child and wanted to touch the orange glow on the stove while his mother wasn't looking. He grabbed at his skin, surprised to see not even a touch of pink where he thought he'd be burnt.

A heavy scraping sound snatched his attention and he watched as one of the ornate chairs was pulled out, twisted slightly in his direction.

He could still feel that overwhelming heat from where he was.

"Are you going to decline my offer?"

Danny jumped at the sudden voice. At the far end of the table, seated with all the suave elegance of a king, was the blue skinned ghost. His red eyes were trained on Danny, a fang filled smirk pulling at his lips. He took a crystal wine glass and held it up, as though toasting, and Danny watched as it filled with deep red wine from some unknown source.

"O-offer?" Danny swallowed hard.

The ghost motioned to the chair with his glass before taking a dignified sip.

Danny hesitated before slowly lowering himself into the chair. He managed to swallow a yelp as the chair was pushed back towards the table, the invisible heat almost overbearing.

"I must say," the ghost spoke as a napkin flew into Danny's lap, arranging itself neatly, "you kept me waiting for some time."

"Waiting for what?" Danny asked. The heat vanished quickly and he felt very cold for a moment.

"Dinner, of course."

From one moment to the next, without a single flash or a plume of smoke, the empty plates suddenly filled. Every once-empty dish now overflowed with food from rich smelling stews to dark loaves of bread to thick cuts of juicy meat. There were roasted pumpkins stuffed with rice and meat, there were slabs of steak cooked to perfection, there were bowls filled with bright greens that were lightly dressed.

Danny's mouth watered and his stomach growled lough enough to echo. He bit his tongue and grabbed at his napkin to keep from snatching up the closest plate. His resolve to not eat anything magical was wavering.

"Why am I here?" Danny asked with a glare. It was easier to get angry when he was hungry.

"You are here because you vowed you would stay." Those horrifying red eyes narrowed. "Are you going to go back on your word?"

Danny stilled. He wanted to leave, he wanted to run as far and as fast as he could. But what would happen to his mother? He bit at the inside of his lip, lowering his gaze to the plate that mocked him with how empty it was.

"What do you want with me?"

Silence reigned between the two before the ghost set his glass down with an echoing _click_.

"I have told you already, you are my prisoner." He motioned to the vast array of food. "Eat your fill, for I abhor waste."

Danny scrunched his nose up, sounding each word in his mind. It sounded like a phrase from his C.A.T. study guide. He was hungry, he was _starving_ , but still...

"Is it all, you know, real?"

The ghost considered Danny for a long moment before laughing sharply. "I have no foxes in my home, I can assure you. Everything that you can see and touch, and most things you can not, are completely real."

Danny rolled the words over in his mind. Even if the food had been prepared with magic, he still needed sustenance. He slowly reached out for the plate closest to his, feeling the specter's gaze following his every movement as he slid a large slice of some roasted meat onto his plate. Danny took up once of the many forks next to his plate, noticing that it was made of painstakingly polished silver, and took a small, careful bite.

It was the most amazing thing he'd ever tasted. Still as warm as though it had been freshly cooked, the meat was tender and seemed to melt on his tongue. It was seasoned delicately, just enough to bring out the natural flavors and Danny wondered if whoever or whatever had prepared this had ever been a professional chef.

The ghost watched as Danny began to eat with more confidence. He drank his wine slowly, only ever needing to hold up the glass for it to be refilled from its unseen source. He took no food, unwilling and unable to eat as he was, and was content to wait until the boy's ravenous hunger was sated momentarily.

"You are my prisoner," the ghost said after a long while, staring into his wine glass as he swirled the remnants about. "You gave yourself to me and you vowed to stay." Across the table Danny's stomach churned and he worried he would see his dinner once again. But the ghost merely placed his glass down next to his empty plate and continued. "You are free to roam the castle as you see fit. There is nowhere off limits to you aside the places that the living can not reach. You may choose any room you wish to reside in, they mean nothing to me nor do they contain anything I consider precious.

"By day, you may wander the grounds should you choose, but I would suggest you retreat indoors before the sun sets. I built my castle in this location very specifically as it is a veil between worlds. The barrier holds well enough under the sun, but I can not guarantee your safety from whatever should find its way across in the moonlight.

"If you are hungry, you may eat whenever and whatever you wish. However, we shall meet here every night, precisely at seven, and we shall dine together. I will not allow you to refuse my company, nor will you ever have to worry about the lack of mine.

"I have servants, invisible to mortal eyes, and they will serve you as they serve me. All you must do is call for them and they shall give you whatever it is you ask for. They shall ensure you want for not while you are here."

Danny frowned. For all that the ghost called him "prisoner", he was allowing Danny the utmost freedom. Certainly there was more to what he was saying. Perhaps it was some kind of trap, allowing Danny to go where he wanted to see if he would stumble upon whatever secret that bound him to this castle. Or was it that his servants were there to keep an eye on him, to report all of Danny's moves to the creature for whatever nefarious purpose he had? He looked to his plate, feeling the familiar cool presence of what he now knew to be an invisible servant, and watched as what scraps he couldn't finish were whisked away to leave the emerald sparkling clean. Some magical creatures could be seen only in their reflection, he knew, and he watched the polished spoon intently to see what sort of monsters he would be surrounded by.

So intent on catching a glimpse of his invisible captor, he missed the flash of red in the ghost's suddenly glowing eyes. He didn't see the stiffness that forced broad shoulders back and chin up. He only heard the smooth voice, barely strained as he asked, "Will you stay with me forever?"

Danny frowned, looking to the ghost just as the glow died away and the unnatural stiffness faded. Why would he ask Danny that after everything that had happened? "I'm already here, aren't I?"

The ghost nodded once, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He stood, hovering an inch off the ground and he bowed deeply, with a dramatic sweep of his cape. "You are dismissed and may do as you please for the rest of the evening. We shall see each other again tomorrow night."

"Wait!" Danny yelped suddenly and the ghost blinked, surprise evident on his face. The boy blushed, wondering what possessed him to call out. "My... name is Danny. What, uh, what should I call you? I mean, what's your name? I don't want to just call you 'ghost' when we talk."

The specter hesitated, an odd look in those red eyes. "I highly doubt that we shall see each other enough for casual conversation. But if you wish, you may call me Vlad."

And then he was gone, vanishing into thin air and leaving Danny all alone.


	7. Chapter 7

"My lord, did you see?" Red eyes sparkled like rubies and ghastly green hands clasped together. Her cool aura, like a summer's breeze, washed over Vlad in her excitement. "Did you see how clear and bright his eyes were? How articulate his answer was?"

"Calm yourself, Dorathea," Vlad said, failing to keep the weariness from his voice. He reached up, unclasping his cape and Dorathea took it from him quickly. She hummed as she carefully hung it next to the unused four poster bed, straightening it to keep it from wrinkling.

"How can I remain calm when we are so very close to breaking the spell?" Dorathea chirped. She floated over to a large mirror, adjusting the golden frame until it rested just as perfectly against the wall. She was so full of nervous energy, she just couldn't sit still.

"How can we be close?" came a voice from the doorway. Blazing hot and so very different from Vlad's own freezing touch, the woman with the fire red hair floated over to the bed to straighten the immaculate silken sheets. "Ms. Dora, are you trying to get our poor master's hopes up?"

Dorathea's lips pursed at the title and the nickname, but she stilled her tongue. She'd never been allowed to bring herself to speak back against such abrasive personalities – it was how she'd ended up in Vlad's care in the first place. She took a moment to straighten her shoulders and asked as politely as she could, "What makes you say that, Mistress Spectra? Have you some insight into our guest that you have not shared with us?"

"No more than the both of you," Spectra said as she fluffed untouched pillows.

"Then how can you not believe that the end of our miserable existence is nigh? That we can not become normal once more?" There was no trace of the distaste Dorathea felt in her voice. She had learned from a very young age how to hide that. "The boy's eyes are clear, his words are his own. He seems completely unaffected by the spell as all the others have been."

"That's just it," Spectra insisted. Her words were purred, almost seductive, and Dorathea felt a shiver run up her spine. "If he is so unswayed by this magic, then can he even affect the spell? Certainly, the curse was not designed to bring forth a man."

"The _djinni_ specified no gender," Dorathea claimed.

"Then how have only women been summoned to this castle?" Spectra had lost all pretense of fulfilling her chores as she placed her hands on her hips. "In all these years, we have never seen a young man overcome by this awful spell." She floated to Vlad, throwing her arms lightly about his shoulders and pressing against him. "I am merely looking to protect our lord from false hopes."

Vlad gently pushed Spectra aside, as he always did when she tried to cling to him. "Calm yourselves Mistress Spectra, Princess Dorathea. I am _fully_ aware of the _djinni's_ curse and of all of our previous guests." He floated to the mirror, lightly touching the golden frame. A soft green glow covered the surface, like mist over a lake, and a vision of Danny appeared. He was yawning, still wandering the castle hallways as he had all morning.

"The boy wasn't called by the curse," Vlad spoke, looking into the magic mirror's depths. "He came to reclaim his mother and vowed to stay in her place. Certainly, another woman shall appear upon my doorstep and when she does, I will let him go free." He turned toward Spectra, who quickly acted like she was shaking out the drapes of his bed. "Rest assured, Mistress, that my hopes shall not rise again. I have been this way for decades and I am sure that I shall remain for many more. Not until..."

Until the words were spoken that would break the curse.

 _I love you, and I will stay with you forever._

"Finish your duties," Vlad growled, trying in vain to forget the angry snarl of a terrified _djinni_. "And make certain you are available to Daniel's needs whenever he calls. I shall see you tomorrow for supper."

With a sharp flick of his cape, Vlad vanished, leaving his servants to their eternal duties.

* * *

Danny eventually found his way back to his room, falling backwards to collapse on the bed. He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and held a deep breath. The sun had long since set, and the candelabra by the wardrobe glowed, illuminating the room with it's warm light. His mind raced, Vlad's words playing over and over in his mind.

He was a prisoner.

Yet he was completely free.

He could come and go as he pleased.

Yet he couldn't go outside after dark.

He had full access to whatever unworldly servants Vlad possessed.

Yet he wouldn't see the ghost except for once a day.

The sheets beneath him were soft, the bed fluffy and comfortable. He turned on his side, wiggling under the heavy comforter and watching the flickering candle flames as sleep slowly took him over. He was too tired even to hum, and his final thought before sleep took was him was simply, _I hope Mom got home ok..._

* * *

Jack lay his head in his paws. He hadn't been left alone for so long, especially not since his accident. He huffed deeply, wanting to bury himself under the sheets that were slowly starting to lose the scent of Maddie. He had hoped to spend more time with his son, who had taken to locking himself in his room more often than now. Or any time with his daughter, who he knew hated being on the phone at all hours of the day. If he'd simply been human, he could have taken them both out, gotten them to talk _to_ each other instead of _about_ each other. If he'd had a voice, he could have joined them in the living room and told stories about when they were kids, before test scores determined who was loved "more". If he'd had hands he could have brought them in for hugs, tight and loving, just like he used to.

But all he had was warm fur for Danny to hug, a low bark to pull Jazz away from the speaker for even a moment, and a tail to thump to show his love for his children. He wished desperately that Maddie would come back, safe and whole, with Danny under her arm. She would kiss him on the tip of his nose and usher Danny to the kitchen with that sweet laugh he'd fallen in love with. She would take the CD Danny had made her a few years ago of every rendition of "Fly Me To The Moon" he could find online. She would make them all dinner and tell the story about how she'd gotten lost, or run out of gas. She'd lavish Danny with praise for coming to find her (she'd call him her perfect hero like when he used to "save" her from caterpillars in the garden when he was four) and Danny would blush and tell her to stop embarrassing him. She would lament her lost chance to spend time with Jazz and find her cell phone, placing the young girl on speaker so they could all catch up like they were supposed to have done.

He'd watched Danny peel out of the driveway, ears perked and tail still until the roar of the engine faded away to match the constant buzz of traffic. Danny had told him it would take a day to get there and come back, but Jack had waited on the porch. The door was swung wide open, but Jack couldn't find it in himself to care about the electric bill. It all came out of a semi-sizeable account automatically anyway, just for instances like this. He stayed there, watching the sidewalk and waiting.

The sun set, the temperature dropping, and Jack began to shiver despite his fur. He curled in on himself tighter, watching the moon crawl up into the sky. He remembered a time when Danny was young, the boy begging for weeks and weeks for a telescope he'd seen in the window at the mall. It had been dreadfully expensive, and Jack and Maddie had debated for just as long as Danny had begged on whether or not the boy could be trusted with such an instrument. Would he accidentally break it? Would he get tired of it after just a few days? Would he notice if they got him a cheaper model they'd found at a Goodwill? The day of Danny's birthday, he'd torn open the package and cried with joy at the sleek, new telescope under his hands. It took all afternoon to assemble the present, Danny constantly underfoot with the biggest grin on his face. The sky darkened and the moment the sun sank beyond the horizon, Danny was peering through the lens.

Jack's heart still ached as he remembered the look of disappointment and hurt that slowly took over Danny's face. The light pollution in Amity Park had blocked out the sky, leaving only the faintest twinkling of stars. Jack had pet back Danny's hair and promised that he'd take the boy out to the state park, that they'd stargaze together in the clearest sky Danny had ever seen.

Jack couldn't remember if he'd managed to take Danny on that trip or not...

All he remembered was finding Danny up on the rooftop, fighting off sleep and wrapped in his blanket, looking through his telescope every night, desperate to find even a single star.

The cold was settling into Jack's bones and he stood stiffly. He stretched, collar jingling at his movements, and he slowly lumbered back inside the kitchen. A knotted rope hung off the doorknob and Jack took it between his teeth, pulling the door closed.


	8. Chapter 8

She was exhausted. Her eyelids felt heavy and her body was stiff. She felt like she hadn't moved in days, and she slowly shook her head from side to side. Her spine popped from her hips to her shoulders as she shifted, mild relief flowing through her body.

She blinked heavily and looked out the window. She was sitting in front of a large building, red brick faded with an odd sort of glowing verdigris discoloring the grout. She looked up and up, beyond the buzzing neon sign and toward the metal monstrosity perched on the roof. She wondered how long it had taken to weld together, how long it had been worked on.

She heard the noise before she recognized it. Barking. Loud and frantic. Something thumped next to her and she looked over through another window. A large dog was braced against the door, deep _whuffs_ calling out for her. For a moment, she was scared of this large creature with dark fur and large teeth scrabbling desperately to reach her. But it paused, it whined and it craned its neck to press its nose against the glass to leave a slimy print. She looked into those eyes, so bright and blue and full of...

Worry?

She reached out slowly, carefully popping the lock on the door and pushing it open. The dog whined, instantly leaping up to try and lay its head in her lap. It yelped suddenly, looking rather offended at the sharp object that had nicked through its fur. She looked down, curious.

Clenched tightly in a white knuckle grip, was a rose made of solid gold with emerald petals and carved ruby petals. She looked into a diamond dewdrop as the dog whimpered.

"Where am I...?"

* * *

Danny woke late the next day, warm light falling across his face interrupted only by the golden bars of his window. He reached up to rub at his nose, blinking and wondering at the grandeur of his room. Where were his NASA posters? And had his bed always been this soft?

He sat up, down comforter falling into his lap. The candelabra by the wardrobe lit itself with a burst of warmth and Danny pulled his knees to his chest with a deep sigh.

That's right. He was trapped here. Possibly forever. Would he be allowed to simply go back to bed and sleep away the rest of his days? He picked at his silk sheets, worrying at the tightly woven threads. He shifted to lay back down and try and sleep just as the cool breeze of an invisible servant blew into the room. He watched with wide eyes as something soft and black fell on the mattress by his feet. He was still scared of whatever magic he was surrounded by, waiting for it to turn on him just as he'd always been told it would.

But the servant just drew back the heavy curtains to let more late morning sun in and dimmed the flames of the candelabra to keep just a warm glow. A cool caress tousled his hair for a moment, light and gentle, and then it vanished to leave Danny all by himself. He hesitated in his bed, waiting to see if the creature would come back.

The stifling warmth of the candles was his only company.

Danny swung his feet over the side of the mattress, settling on the stone floor that was nowhere near as cold as he expected it to be. He stretched and stood, hesitantly reaching for the bundle the servant had left behind. For a moment, he worried it would be one of the many, many dresses he'd seen in the hundreds of wardrobes about the castle.

It was a suit, he discovered, soft and comfortable without a single wrinkle. Danny looked to his worn clothes with a grimace. He'd grabbed them from the laundry hamper, spent all day in the car, wandered a dusty old mansion, and slept in them. And, granted, while jeans and a shirt didn't make for the most comfortable pajamas, he wasn't so sure he wanted to try on something possibly fitted to his mother's waist size.

He lifted the collar of his shirt and sniffed, grimacing at the smell. He'd need a shower, too.

"Um, excuse me?" Danny felt silly, talking to the empty air. "Is there a bathroom around here?" He'd found something in his exploration yesterday, a hole with a lever that forced water through it, but that wasn't his only need this morning. "I want to get clean."

He was left unanswered for some time, long enough to feel foolish. He'd felt the servant's presence leave, would it really hear him? Vlad had told him he could call on them...

The door to his room opened with that cool breeze and Danny gave a crooked smile. Despite being told to never trust magic, he'd also been told to be polite, so he grabbed the suit and said softly, "Thank you."

The breeze touched him on the shoulder, an acknowledgment of his stilted gratitude. Then he felt it back away, just slightly. Beckoning him to follow.

His steps were small and careful. He'd already explored this wing, dug through every room and drawer. So he knew what he was looking for wasn't near this room he'd claimed. The invisible servant stayed at a steady pace in front of him, slowing when he hesitated and speeding up when he felt more confident. He listened, straining his ears, but he could only hear his own footsteps shuffling along on the stone floors. Whatever this servant was, its feet never once touched the ground.

A door at the far end of a hallway opened and Danny found himself walking right by the servant, the cool breeze falling staying far behind him. He looked over his shoulder, wondering, before glancing into the new room. A polished silver mirror hung neatly above a cabinet made of some dark wood with a beautiful grain pattern that he placed the suit on. The floor was a light colored tile, leading to the oddest contraption Danny had ever seen. It looked like a regular bathtub pressed up against a porcelain wall that hung over just enough to contain what appeared to be a showerhead. Several knobs lined up along the side and he frowned as he tried to find any kind of indication of what they did.

He hesitated before closing the door behind him. He didn't feel the servant in the room with him and he slowly, carefully, undressed. The knobs, he was quick to find, were simple enough to find out. One for waterflow, another to adjust the heat, and even a few others to differentiate between a gushing waterfall and a fine mist that dripped from the head. The biggest surprise was finding a wand that spewed forth strong smelling bubbles that he took to be some kind of soap.

Danny wanted to jump in and out, wash the crud off his skin and get dressed as quickly as possible. The water, while not hot, was somewhat warm and it was the first familiar touch he'd had in what felt like weeks. He bowed his head and sighed, leaning against the porcelain wall as he dripped.

"This is real... Isn't it?" he breathed. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling his breath hitch in his chest. "I'm... I'm not going home..."

His lips trembled, the lyrics he'd heard his entire life waiting to fill his ears. But he couldn't... As alone as he was now, he couldn't bring himself to sing that family song anymore. He sank to his knees, slamming his fists against the wall. He bit his tongue to stifle the sobs, letting the shower wash away his tears.

No one was going to come for him. No one was going to miss him. He was going to be trapped in this castle for the rest of his life. He was going to grow old and die without ever seeing another human being again.

Or, more likely, he would be worked to death or shoved into an oven before too long.

He cupped a hand over his mouth, staving off the inevitable breakdown for as long as he could. He had to be strong, if not for his family then for himself. He would hold his head high and face his death with dignity.

By the time Danny turned the spigots and clambered out of the tub, he was shivering, dripping everywhere. He ran pruned fingers through his hair, squeezing the strands until they were as dry as possible, and slowly managed to make his way to the cabinet without slipping. He blushed furiously when he noticed that his old clothes had been picked up off the floor and a soft, fluffy towel placed beside his dark suit. An invisible servant had been in with him, and he could only pray that it hadn't seen him cry. His pride was the only thing he had left and he would be damned if he allowed that to be taken from him.

He snatched up the towel, scrubbing away at his dripping skin. Even if the servant did tell its master, and even if Vlad did look down on him for crying, he wouldn't allow it to get to him.

* * *

Danny stood at the edge of the hallway. The suit he'd been given by the servant had seemed so unnecessarily fancy, and he'd simply pulled on the dark slacks and the white button up, leaving the top two undone. The formal jacket and tie, even the gloves that he'd been given, had been left in the shower room. He was rather unnerved at how snug the outfit was against his body, fitting perfectly as though he'd been measured for it. The sharp lines and stiff cloth had relaxed as he spent the day exploring the opposite side of the castle.

He'd found several staircases leading down to dark, musty basements and almost overflowing wine cellars. A huge library caught his attention for a few hours, looking up and down the rows of books. There were so many titles he'd never heard of, most in languages he'd never known existed, shelving stretching up and up to a dizzying height that made him wonder how the top books could ever be reached.

One door he'd opened had lead to a spiraling staircase that vanished up into a dark spire. He had only managed to take a few steps up, resting his hand on the dust caked rail when the blazing heat of another servant appeared behind him, making his skin flush. He turned to look at where the heat was coming from, still unwary at being unable to see a thing. The heat moved away, in the same was as the servant that morning and he knew to follow it.

Now he hesitated, almost afraid to enter the dining room. He was hungry, he'd forgotten to eat while exploring, but was he really willing to be in the same room as the ghost? He seemed polite enough, giving his name back after Danny's awkward introduction. But aside claiming Danny as a prisoner, Vlad had seemed to want nothing to do with him. And if that was so, then why invite him to dinner at all? Why not just leave him to his own devices?

Just as Danny made up his mind to turn around and go back to his room, that heated servant was suddenly behind him. He felt sweat bead up along his spine as a fiery touch reached out to press between his shoulder blades. He stumbled once, catching himself and hurrying along before the servant could try and touch him again.

The dining room was just as grand as the night before, every plate sparkling and every piece of silverware polished almost to glowing. The candlelight was warm and inviting, and the chair was pulled out just enough for him to sit down in. He fiddled with the bottom button on his shirt, waiting and wondering. What would Vlad want with him now? What would happen tonight?

He shivered at the sudden feeling of ice, and he looked up to see Vlad once more seated across the table from him. The plates and bowls were again filled with steamy, aromatic food that made his mouth water and his stomach rumble.

"I see you have adopted punctuality as a virtue," Vlad said with a satisfied smile. He took his filled wine glass, looking for all the world like the cat that had caught the canary, and Danny felt his insides twist. "I hope you will ensure that this precedence is not broken in the future. Though I must say, I hope your choice of attire improves before long."

"Yeah, sure," Danny mumbled. He was still trying to fight off his fear, and all those big words just made him miss Jazz.

Vlad drank from his glass, looking pointedly at Danny's plate. "You should eat. From what my servants tell me, you haven't been to the kitchens as of yet."

Danny hesitated, but reached for the nearest steaming bowl. It was filled with a dark stew, thickly cut meat and vegetables floating in creamy gravy. It smelled wonderful, and Danny tried not to appear too ravenous as he ate. He didn't want to tell Vlad that he was too scared to go to the kitchen, afraid that he would run into the specter without warning if he did.

The only sounds that filled the room were the soft _clinks_ of silver on emerald and Danny's self-conscious chewing. He couldn't even hear as Vlad drank, though the sound of a wine bottle pouring kept the boy's gaze wandering around. He was still determined to find even a silhouette of a servant, just to prove to himself that there were truly _there_ and that it wasn't just Vlad's magic.

The wax from the candles never dripped, never shortened despite how long the evening seemed to drag on. Danny's eyes caught on the silver sconces, watching as the flames wavered and bounced, but never flickered nor produced the slightest ribbon of smoke. It was as though time had stopped in this castle, forgetting all about them while it marched on in the world outside. Danny wondered, briefly, what should happen to him if he were to explore the gardens.

Danny was lost in thought, absently pushing a stray piece of meat across his plate when he heard Vlad's empty glass drop to the table. An invisible touch kept it from rolling off the table, and Vlad's fingers twitched around nothing, grasping to hold on to something. His gaze caught on glowing red eyes and he shivered as Vlad growled out, each word clipped and forced, "Will you stay with me forever?"

Danny blinked, the familiar phrase tugging at his memory. That was the third time he'd heard those words, so strained and harsh. "What.. what are you talking about?"

Vlad's jaw was clenched, his shoulders quivering under sudden tension. For a moment, Danny was terrified that the ghost was poised to attack, every muscle bunched and prepared to pounce. Then, just as abruptly as the stiffness took hold, Vlad relaxed, once more the picture of ease and relaxation. He smiled, lips stretching across sharp fangs, and stood with a deep bow. "If you've eaten your fill, you should return to your room to rest. Certainly you're exhausted from your explorations today."

Danny shook his head. He'd think about how Vlad knew what he'd been up to all day later, but for now... "What in the hell was that?"

Vlad scowled, for a moment loosing his regal posture. "Mind your language, Daniel."

"Ok, first of all, it's Danny. Second, no!" Danny stood with a glare. In his anger he set aside his fear of magic and the unknown to snap, "You keep asking that, what does it even mean?!"

Vlad considered Danny for a long moment, red eyes boring deep into Danny's. Then he huffed, an aggravated and irritated noise, before turning away. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. I will see you tomorrow evening."

And then, with a swirl of pink mist, Vlad was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Dorathea had learned, at an early age, precisely how to watch a man out of the corner of her eye. She knew how to stay out of the way, how to anticipate the needs of her so-called betters so as to avoid the pain of a "corrective" beating. She could control her expression and emotions with such accuracy, that they never seemed to notice her cunning and intelligence. She played the part of submissive maiden so well, she had even managed to escape her paranoid brother's abuses.

So she was certain that Vlad was unaware of her careful gaze. Despite his respect for her, despite his usage of her royal title (no matter the fact that she held no such position in this world), she remained subservient and unobtrusive. In fact, there were times when she was able to blend into the background so well, he seemed to forget she was even there. She was able to watch him as he stared into his magic mirror, misty green surface reflecting the young boy as he angrily stalked back to his room after that disastrous dinner. She caught his intense gaze, saw the flicker of emotions that lingered in the back of his red eyes.

"He'll be gone soon," he said, and Dorathea paused. Was he speaking to her or to the boy in the mirror? "So it doesn't matter what I tell him or what he knows of this curse."

Vlad glanced at Dorathea, and she saw a hint of worry in his expression. "Stay with him tomorrow. Ensure that he eats."

Dorathea curtsied deeply, hiding a smile with a bowed head. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Danny was up early the next day, finding his way to the bathing room all on his own. She left him a new change of clothes, magically tailored to his size as was all cloth in this castle. He left the jacket, tie, and gloves behind once more. There were very few clothes suited for men, even fewer that weren't caked with dirt and grit from lack of use, and she was quick to set Spectra in charge of the laundry despite the woman's long suffering noises and complaints.

The castle's magic kept the long hallways warm and pleasant even as the clouds outside darkened threateningly before exploding with a vengeance, fat white flakes of snow already layering the grounds. She stayed next to Danny as he found himself back in the library, busying himself by looking through the immense collection of ancient tomes. His fingertip trailed over cracking and broken spines, removing a trail of dust from golden leafing. She floated next to him, watching as he contemplated the stories-tall ladders and tightly spun staircases that reached up to the very top of the library. She listened to him hum and mumble, reaching out to bring him whatever he asked about from the shelves.

The first time she held a book out for him, _The Stars and The Moon_ , he almost screamed. His eyes flew open wide with panic and he flinched away. Dorathea bit her lip, wondering whatever it was that she had done to scare the boy so before silently and apologetically cursing Vlad for his callousness. But then she'd seen a softness in Danny's expression, and he'd quietly reached out for the book.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, gaze dropping from her general direction to his feet. "All you've done is try and help me and I keep flipping out. I'm just... My mom, you know?"

Dorathea pressed the book into his hands and he looked it over. He gently lifted the cover, running his fingers delicately over the dry rotten pages.

"She's always told me that magic was evil, that it would harm me no matter how innocent and helpful it seemed. But..." He lifted his head and Dorathea giggled as she floated to where he was trying to focus, slightly to the left of her actual position. "You've been nothing but nice to me. I don't know if it's because Vlad told you to, or if that's just how you are, or even if you have the... the mental capacity to make your own choices, but, um, geeze that sounded rude. Uh..." Danny reached up to rub at the back of his neck, grimacing at the feel of accumulated grit he'd forgotten was on his hands. "Thanks. Just, um. Thank you."

Dorathea clasped her hands over her chest, feeling the long forgotten warmth rush to her cheeks. The spelled women that had always inhabited the castle never seemed to have enough of their own mind to acknowledge her presence, let along speak to her and _thank_ her for what had been her duty for so long.

"Oh, Danny," she said even though she knew he could never hear her over the curse. "Thank _you._ Despite Mistress Spectra's pessimism, I know you'll be the one..."

Unable to find a table without an inch of dust on it, and prompting Dorathea to ensure Spectra caught back up on her cleaning duties, Danny curled up on the floor under a stained glass window. The blizzard was howling beyond the castle walls, but he remained in a sleepy warmth as he flipped carefully through his book.

She watched his eyes light up as he read, eagerly absorbing concepts that had always baffled her. She knew the sky, she knew the clouds and the air, but beyond that? It was all some vague notion of "up" to her. But she could tell, as he gingerly touched the rotten and stiff pages, that they held a special meaning to him. That he could understand what the words meant and more.

And when he gently closed the book, when he held it out for Dorathea to take, he didn't just smile. He glowed.

* * *

Danny looked out the window, clutching yet another a book of constellations to his chest. Through the colored glass, he could see the wind whipping around thick flurries of snow. He twisted his lips and sighed. "It's like it's never going to end out there."

Dorathea, happy that Danny was willing to speak to her even if he couldn't hear her responses, said quietly, "It's something you become accustomed to here. The snow and the wind can be quite harsh this time of year."

Danny nodded, as though he'd been able to hear. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot. He glanced at his book and sighed. "I'm, um..." He turned, eyes flickering as he continued to try and find Dorathea's presence. "I'm kind of hungry, and I don't really know where to go..."

Dorathea giggled, wondering when the last time she smiled so much was. Danny was such a sweet boy and she was more than happy to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder, tugging at his sleeve. Danny hesitated for a moment, placing the book on the windowledge as carefully as he could, before following after her.

She floated before him, slowly leading the way. She pulled on his sleeves and pressed against his shoulders whenever he hesitated, taking him on the most direct route to the kitchen. She was happy to note that he seemed to be memorizing the way, etching the various hallways and stairwells into his mind. He wasn't going to be some helpless doll like the others, Dorathea knew. This streak of independence, this clarity of his mind, even the sometimes hesitance of his actions all led her to believe that this boy possessed the key to their freedom.

When they reached the dining hall, Dorathea rushed past Danny, opening the far door that lead to the kitchen. She watched the boy give the dining room a wide berth, as though afraid to enter before his designated time with Vlad. She bit the tip of her tongue. If only Vlad had shown the boy _some_ kindness, then this wouldn't be so hard!

Danny stepped next to her, almost through her, and his eyes widened. The kitchen was huge, the walls lined with stone ovens and wood burning stoves. A deep sink still contained a few cooking pots, upside down and dripping until they would be needed for the night's dinner. The back wall was a large larder, every shelf close to overflowing with a variety of foodstuffs from root vegetables and dried meats to freshly baked bread and fruits grown in the greenhouse just behind the castle. Open cabinets held the emerald dishes Danny was so familiar with, along with the diamond glasses Vlad drank from and the various other dishware that had been left to gather dust for so long.

Danny hesitated, but before Dorathea could usher him forward, his stomach growled loud enough to echo. His face burned a deep red and it was only a lifetime of training that kept Dorathea from laughing.

"I, uh, I guess I'm hungrier than I thought I was..."

Dorathea needed only to give Danny the lightest of taps on his shoulder to encourage him to move toward the larder where he was quick to grab a round loaf of dark bread. He brought it close to him, inhaling the scent with a soft smile.

"My mom..." he said softly, rolling the loaf between his hands. "The one time she baked something, it was a few years ago. On Christmas." He ripped into the bread and popped a piece in his mouth, eyes closing as he savored the rich, tangy flavor. "She was making something, a fruitcake probably. She was supposed to put it in the oven at three-hundred and fifty degrees for an hour. She decided she could power through it at five hundred degrees for just over half an hour." Danny laughed, tearing away another piece of bread. "I could smell smoke and burnt pineapple for the next six months every time I walked through the door.

"Bread like this, though, I never got unless we visited my Aunt Alicia. She handmade everything – she milked the cows, churned the cream to butter, and even made flour at a water mill on her property." He frowned suddenly, swallowing thickly. "She didn't let me visit when I got older. She'd only ever take Jazz over the summer..."

Dorathea ached inside at the forlorn expression that filled his eyes. She would spend the rest of eternity baking loaves of bread just to return a smile to Danny's face if that was all it would take.

Silence reigned between the pair, broken only by Danny's quiet chewing. He found a stash of apples, soft and sweet and nearly ready to be cooked down into a thick, dark butter. He ate them to the core and Dorathea was quick to take them, plucking out the seeds and stashing the remainder into a large pot to compost. Danny crunched on a few small potatoes, eaten raw, and grabbed a large slice of dried venison the he brought to a warm corner of the kitchen to enjoy slowly.

Dorathea ran her fingers through his hair, delighting in his content noises, before she took to the sinks. The large pots were rubbed dry with a soft stretch of cloth and she hung them neatly on their hooks. She could feel Danny's eyes on her, more accurately, on the cookware that would appear to him to be floating away on their own. He couldn't hear her content humming, only the sound of the wood coals crackling in the ovens as they waited for the night's meal.

A surge of heat was her only warning as Spectra erupted through the floor, hovering several inches above the cool stone.

"What are you doing in here, Ms. Dora?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and her legs at her ankles.

Dorathea only glowered in her mind, instead showing a graceful smile and a deep curtsy. "Mistress Spectra," she greeted, as though she'd been given the courtesy in turn. "I am doing my part in keeping our house guest company."

Spectra cast emerald eyes to the young boy on the floor who was suddenly picking at his shirt as he began to sweat in her presence. Her lips twisted and she put her hands on her hips with a deep, personally offended sigh.

"He's simply eating. Do you really think him a child that would choke if left alone for a moment?"

"Of course not," Dorathea tried not to snap. "But we were instructed to remain by his side should he call for us. I have been with him all day, where have _you_ been, Mistress?"

Spectra dropped to the floor, though her feet didn't quite make contact. " _I_ have been working hard on my chores, Your Highness." She swooned dramatically, placing the back of her hand to her forehead, "Else you decide to turn that sharp tongue of yours on me once again."

Despite what seemed to be an open invitation (one that had seen her bruised and bloodied as a child more often than not), Dorathea merely nodded. "I am glad you've been so focused on the duties your title brings you." She risked a sidelong glance and a tight-lipped smile. "So I will assume that when Danny retires to his room, his bedding will be cleaned and ready for his presence?"

Spectra grimaced, her face darkening in her anger. Without a word, she shot up through the ceiling, leaving the kitchen feeling far too cold without her presence.

* * *

Danny spent the rest of the afternoon holed up in the library, reading all the books he could reach (and many that only Dorathea could reach). He would glance out the window every so often, watching the blizzard howl soundlessly beyond the colored glass. He bit at his tongue, eyes sliding from the page as he worried about the world beyond the walls.

"You shouldn't fret," Dorathea whispered to ears that could not hear her. "The snow will end before too long, and though it seems impossible, the sun will return. That's what we all need to believe in order to survive this place..."

She tried to read over his shoulder, but the books he devoured greedily spoke of stars and planets so far beyond her imagination that she was almost glad when she felt the icy tug of Vlad's presence. He had finally pulled himself from his room, ending his self-imposed isolation in order to fulfill his end of the curse.

A gentle touch to Danny's shoulder roused him, and he followed Dorathea's presence down the staircase and through the hallways. Spectra had been hard at work for once, washing the grime from the walls and dusting away the layer of gray from the glittering riches that had accumulated within Vlad's home. But Danny's eyes never strayed to the priceless artifacts, never caught on anything that shimmered and glowed in the candlelight. He seemed to possess no interest in any of the treasures that had enticed every other woman who had crossed the threshold of Vlad's castle, and it gave Dorathea a spark of hope. Freedom was oh so tantalizingly close, and she wanted to do nothing to risk it.

She stood next to Vlad, in her usual position, with his usual bottle of wine. She knew that he, just like Spectra and herself, could not taste the wine. It had no numbing, blissful effect on him. It served no purpose other than to show off his wealth, to continue to entice the cursed women that could only see the things that sparkled and glowed.

Danny regarded Vlad with suspicion and mistrust, even as he slowly savored the meal Spectra had painstakingly prepared. Thanks to his earlier raiding of the kitchens, he wasn't as ravenous as he had been. If it weren't for the dark glare that marred his features, it would almost seem as though he were enjoying his shared meal.

"Be polite," Dorathea whispered to Vlad as she kept his glass full. "You don't want to frighten the boy."

Vlad cast his gaze to her over the rim of his goblet. The same look he'd been giving her that silently asked if she understood the implications of her own words. He still refused to believe that Danny could do anything about his eternal state, choosing to allow Spectra's words of warning enclose around him.

"You must have hope," was all she said, stepping back as Vlad's body convulsed and he spat out the accursed phrase.

" _Will you stay with me forever?"_

Dorathea no longer felt pity in her heart for the terrified _djinni_ , only a slow, cold anger. How could anyone respond to a phrase like that, growled out past tongue and teeth that gnashed upon the words like they were broken glass? How could any woman, cursed into a mindless and dazed state, speak back the words that would be their only salvation?

And Danny, the poor thing, simply yelled back, terrified and confused.

Vlad, just as angry, vanished into a pink mist without another word, leaving Dorathea with no way to comfort the scared young boy.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam stretched her arms above her head, twisting in the uncomfortable plastic of her desk chair. Why did the school insist on returning from winter break in the middle of the week, just to give the students the weekend off? All it did was waste the teachers' time since no one felt the need to concentrate for only three days. She yawned, a tiny squeak escaping, and her eyes flew open to glare at anyone unfortunate enough to have heard. The kid in front of her, a twitchy redhead she knew from the basketball team, flinched slightly, feeling the heat of her gaze on his back. But he smartly kept his mouth shut.

Tucker, on the other hand, nodded into his folded arms as he napped on his desk. "I heard that. Cute, by the way."

He yelped when Sam kicked him in the ankle.

"Gah! Are you wearing those steel-toed boots again? I thought the school banned them!"

"Think again," Sam muttered. Her shoes may have been heavy, but it was worth it for when Tucker was being insufferable.

The other boy just huffed, reaching down to rub at his ankle. "Thanks for the wake up call, I guess..."

His eyes strayed to the desk just beyond his friend-turned-tormentor. Still empty...

"Hey, isn't Danny's suspension finally up?" he asked as the shrill noise of the morning bell pierced through the air.

Mr. Lancer, given his cue, set his book down on his desk and stood up. "Quiet now, everyone. The bell has rang, so that means learning has begun." His eyes flicked over each of his tired students, lingering on the same empty desk.

"I do believe I informed Mr. Fenton that he was scheduled to return to class today. I wonder where he is," he spoke out loud. A low chatter started up, gossip and rumors churning even now.

"Maybe you should check the pound," Dash sneered, laughter rippling through the students. "Isn't that where they put lost dogs?"

Mr. Lancer pursed his lips and fixed Dash with a cold stare. The portly teacher knew how unfair Danny's punishment had been, still able to see the blood that smeared his chin and Dash's knuckles. Mr. Lancer had wanted to put his foot down and suspend Dash until the start of the new year, not just the beginning of the new semester. But Coach Tetslaff had claimed that the altercation was actually a fight, insisting on bringing up that dreadful Zero Tolerance policy to demand that both boys were to be penalized for "fighting". And even then, Dash had never served a day of suspension, instead only giving up one Saturday for detention before the two week break. It was enough to make Mr. Lancer sick, but he knew there was no way he could go against the rest of the faculty in order to bring a much deserved punishment down upon Dash's head.

However, Tetslaff had no way of controlling how many pop quizzes Mr. Lancer could dish out, and Dash knew it, just barely shrinking under the teacher's harsh look.

Mr. Lancer held up a hand, stilling the rest of the whispers, and looked toward the only two that could placate his curiosity. "Mr. Foley, Ms. Manson, have either of you heard from him lately?"

The bleary eyed teens shared a glance. They tried to recall if Danny had texted them after Jazz had left for school.

"He said something about his mom going out of town," Sam suggested. "Maybe she came back and took him with her?"

Mr. Lancer sighed deeply. He'd had his run ins with the Fentons, and he was surprised at just how well-adjusted their children were despite them. And while he didn't know the specifics, he knew there was an issue with Jack Fenton being unable to care properly for his children, leaving his wife Maddie as the primary caretaker. Unfortunately, her idea of "care" usually meant dragging her children out of the city – sometimes even the state! – on her so-called "monster hunts". He'd managed to talk to her once, one on one in the comfort of her own home, about the detrimental effects her profession was having on Danny's academic performance. Mr. Lancer had told her that, in no uncertain terms, Danny would fail the school year should he have any more unexcused absences. Maddie had been quick to apologize, quick to tell him she understood. She informed Mr. Lancer that Danny would be at school every day from then on.

But now it appeared she'd forgotten. It was all too possible that Mr. Lancer would be unable to salvage Danny's attendance and Principal Ishiyama would be forced to pull the boy and make him repeat the twelfth grade.

Mr. Lancer nodded solemnly, noting the way Sam and Tucker's faces twisted. It was obvious they knew of their friend's scholastic peril, and he hoped they could find a way to save him.

* * *

Danny rolled over in his bed, legs tangling in the heavy comforter. He grabbed at the pillow and dragged it close, burying his face into it with a deep sigh. The blizzard had stopped at some point the night before and the sun was now high in the sky, but he couldn't drag himself out of bed. The invisible servant, the one with the cool touch, had hovered about him that morning, reminding him of the times Jazz would sit up with him when he was sick. But thinking about his sister was just making him more miserable and homesick, so he'd waved it off until he'd been left alone.

He didn't know what to do anymore. He was trapped within these castle walls and, despite the small spark of hope he'd allowed himself, he finally came to his senses.

He was completely alone.

There was no one coming to save him.

He wrestled with the soft, fluffy blanket and pulled it up over his head, smothering himself in its warmth. The only thing he had left to look forward to was another terrifying dinner with an easily angered specter. Certainly he could idle his time away in his room until then. His eyelids were heavy and he yawned, burrowing further into his cozy nest.

A blaze of heat erupted into his room, and Danny yelped, certain the candelabra had finally tipped and ignited the expensive curtains. His comforter was snatched off the bed, tossed into a heap across the room. Before he could think, a fire hot touch grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pushed him off the bed.

"Ow! What are you doing?!" Danny sat up and glared around the room, looking for what he now knew to be the other servant manhandling him. As a response, his usual dark suit was dropped on the top of his head. Danny glowered, face flushed with the servant's heat. "All right, all right, I'll get up. Geeze..."

He slowly clambered to his feet, picking up the suit and holding it to his chest. A drop of sweat beaded up and ran down the side of his neck as he grumbled, "Are you going to stand there and watch?"

For a moment, he was afraid the servant would do just that. And, while he was certain they had seen him in various states of undress without his knowledge, he didn't want to just start stripping in front of them. But the heat retreated, vanishing down through the floor and he released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He wiped his forehead and grimaced at the effect the servant had on his body.

He was, thankfully, left alone on the way to that odd shower. Towels were waiting and ready for him on the counter, and he dropped off his suit to step under the cool blast of water. He quickly washed away the sweat and grime the servant had left him with, though he lingered beneath the showerhead.

What was he going to do now? Staying in bed obviously wasn't an option. He could go to the library again and lose himself in books that spoke of the stars and the night sky. He lifted his face, letting the water run down his body in soothing rivulets. Or he could go to the kitchens and snack for a bit. He turned off the spigots, dripping into the porcelain tub. Or...

Or he could go outside.

Danny carefully made his way to the towels, drying himself off slowly. Vlad _had_ given him permission to explore the grounds, hadn't he? That comment about a "veil between worlds" was a little concerning, but he'd said it was safe during the day. He pulled on the suit, or as much as he usually wore at least, and took a deep breath.

* * *

Danny stood on the porch, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Despite the snow on the ground, it didn't feel too cold outside. The sun was bright and warm, and the long sleeves of his undershirt kept his body heat from escaping too fast though his still wet hair made him shiver slightly. He glanced over his shoulder, still debating whether or not to go back to his room and hope the invisible servant with the burning touch would leave him alone.

"I'm already out here..." he mumbled to himself, breath puffing with every word.

His foot crunched in the snow, the expensive loafer he'd found under his bed sinking a few inches until he met the first stair. Carefully, so as not to slip and fall, Danny made his way from the safety of the porch into the frozen gardens.

Snow glittered under the sun's light, illuminating the world as far as he could see. Even the wrought iron fencing was encased in shimmering ice, large tufts of snow piled on the ends like some fluffy, winter fruit. The fountain was filled with a ring of white and, as Danny brushed off an area on the rim to sit, he laughed at the thought of the heated servant coming outside and leaving a melted trail of dead grass in its wake. He basked in the sun, fingers trailing through the fluff in the fountain as though it were water. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he did feel a lot better being in the fresh air.

Danny wondered how long Vlad and his servants had been here. He acted so old fashioned and stuffy, like whenever he used to visit Grandpa Fenton as a young child. The man had always looked over him, eyes watching like a hawk as though the moment he turned around Danny would break some priceless antique or draw on some original painting. It was a wonder how his dad had turned out the way he did under such a strict man. And the more Danny thought about his grandpa, the more his mind wandered to his parents. He wondered if his mother ever made it home safely. Did she ever try to look for him? Or did the spell she was under make her forget all about her worthless child...?

Danny growled to himself and stood suddenly. He couldn't let himself think of any of that now. Even if his mother, by some miracle, had arrived home safely and with her mind intact, and if she had rallied up the entire city of Amity Park, he had no way of knowing any of it. It was useless to think of the "what if"s and the "maybe"s.

He stormed off through the snow, kicking up white flurries with every angry step. He chafed his arms, now starting to feel the chill of the air as the sun slowly lowered, and glowered at the fence enclosing him. Despite the deathly cold and the freezing snow, thick green vines were twined tightly around the entrance gate. Broad leaves quivered in the still air, a patchwork of thorns receding into the vine's shadows. Impossibly huge and beautiful roses bloomed on the strange plant, each crimson bloom the size of a head of cabbage and enticing with a strange scent. Without realizing what he was doing, Danny reached out to touch a velvet soft petal.

 _Snap!_

Danny cried out as the vines _shifted_ , coiling tightly and lashing out with thorns longer than a tiger's claws. His arm exploded in pain as he fell to his knees and the thorns shifted like an agitated snake, gripping the iron gate tight enough to make the metal groan. Danny clutched at what remained of his sleeve, steaming blood pooling in the snow all around him. He grit his teeth to keep from sobbing in agony, and he stumbled backwards should the terrifying vines decide to reach out for him.

What in the world was that?! What kind of crazy plant could _attack_ a person, moving as though it had a mind of its own?

He tripped over his own feet, a crimson trail melting the snow behind him as he hurried toward the relative safety of the castle. He gripped at his arm, putting as much pressure as he could over the long gash, and he prayed that the unearthly vines weren't poisonous.

Danny ripped off his undershirt, wrapping it tightly around his forearm so as not to bleed all over the pristine floor. He wanted to call out for a servant, for Vlad, for his mother, but he bit his tongue to distract himself. That plant was obviously guarding him, locking him in like the prisoner he'd almost forgotten he was. If one of the servants was to find out he'd gotten close enough to be struck by its thorns, who knew what it would tell Vlad. Suddenly, his precarious freedom felt more in jeopardy than ever before.

Danny crept through the castle, holding his injured arm to his chest. The undershirt was quickly turning red and he blanched at the thought of leaving a trail to be followed. He knew he had to get to the bathroom as soon as possible, before he could be seen.

He leaned heavily against the gilded wall, shuffling and sliding until he remembered which corridor was the one that led to his room. From there, it was easy enough to slink into the bathroom, though he cursed when his numb fingers slipped on the knob. His suit jacket was still on the edge of the sink and Danny knocked it aside, nauseous enough from pain to have to close his eyes and swallow until his stomach settled.

Slowly, carefully, Danny unwrapped the ruined undershirt from his arm, the fabric dripping large splotches of red into the sink. An angry looking gash ran the length of his forearm, from thumb almost to his elbow and Danny hissed from the sight of it. He grabbed the clean pair of socks and ran one under the faucet, dabbing gently at the blood that caked his arm. Thankfully, the wound wasn't too deep, merely long and painful, and Danny hoped that it would be enough to wrap his arm and leave it without stitches or glue.

He wound a thick hand towel around his arm, extracting a pin from the overcoat with trembling fingers that he used to hold the cloth in place. Grimacing at the ruined shirt that was staining the sink, he wondered what to do with it. Leaving it would only lead to a servant finding it eventually and going to Vlad. He couldn't clean it himself, the once pristine shirt was now beyond any method of stain removal he knew of, as well as the large tear down the sleeve. He bit at his lip, worrying the rough skin with his teeth. What could he do?

He snatched the shirt and stuffed it into the far back of the dark cabinet, hiding it as well as he could in the shadows. It would have to do until he could find a way to get rid of it completely. He scrubbed the remaining blood out from under his nails and shrugged on the dark coat, buttoning it as high as it could go with shaking hands. One arm was a little lumpier than the other, but with Vlad all the way on the other side of the dining table, he shouldn't be able to tell. Before turning off the faucet, Danny drank several handfuls of water to help clear his foggy head. All he wanted to do now was crawl back into bed and sleep.

But that fiery servant appeared suddenly, making him jump and yelp. He jerked back and twirled around, trying to hide his aching arm. But the servant didn't seem to notice anything odd as it shoved him roughly out the bathroom door and down the hallway. His feet stumbled for a moment, vision swimming, but he managed to right himself before too long.

"I'm late, I get it," he grumbled, voice hoarse. He breathed deep, lungs filling with aching heat, and he wiped a drop of sweat from his brow. "I know how to get there myself."

Unlike the cool servant with the gentle touch and the kind air, this one didn't care at all for his independence and self assertion. It continued to guide him roughly, almost making him trip on the stairs, and for the first time he was glad to see the dining room.

"I can make it from here," Danny snapped. His arm ached and throbbed from being jostled, and he was worried that blood would seep through and stain the dark sleeve. The servant continued to linger, though he was left undisturbed as he slowly, agonizing step by step, entered the dining room.

Vlad was already there, full glass set on the table next to his useless plate. Danny swallowed hard, unsure if the heat he felt was from the servant pulling out his chair or the glare Vlad was leveling at him.

"Ah, you've finally arrived. And only..." Vlad exaggeratedly checked a pocket watch, inlaid with mother of pearl and diamonds that sparkled just as brightly as anything else in the opulent mansion did. " _Twelve_ minutes late."

Danny shifted in his seat, licking his lips. The few handfuls of water hadn't done much to wet his thick tongue. He tried not to blink too heavily even as his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. "What does it matter? I showed up, didn't I?"

The watched was snapped closed, the sound echoing dangerously through the dining room."It matters, my dear boy, because you are in _my_ home and you gave given yourself to _me_. You are to obey all the rules I've set forth and being on time for dinner is the _most important_!"

Vlad's eyes flared an angry red, their glow reflecting off the polished silverware like a shimmering chandelier. Danny flinched back, accidentally banging his injury against the table. Instantly, pain flared up through his arm to his chest and he doubled over with an agonized whine. Dark spots filled his vision, and he squeezed his eyes tightly. He took a ragged breath to try and ground himself, to keep from getting lost in his own pain.

A hesitant touch on his shoulder, freezing cold and unfamiliar, made Danny jump and look up. Vlad was towering over him, a frown pulling his lips. Danny leaned back and swallowed hard. He hadn't heard the ghost move, didn't realize just how fast the dead man could be.

"What did you do?" Vlad demanded.

Danny shook his head to clear his vision, just noticing the streak of blood he'd left on the table. Vlad fixed him with an odd look and asked, "Did you go outside?"

"I wasn't trying to escape!" Danny yelped. He grabbed at his sleeve, feeling the squelch of warm blood between his fingers. Vlad's eyes narrowed, and Danny stammered, "You said I could go outside, and I was in the snow when I saw the plant on the gate. I just wanted to _look_ at it, I swear, and then it _moved_ and, like, bit me!" Danny's hands were shaking, from fear or hunger or anemia he wasn't sure, and he pleaded with his captor, "Believe me, please. I promised I'd stay and I _will_ , I just -"

"I believe you," Vlad interrupted. He made a motion with one hand as he knelt. He glanced once at Danny's flabbergasted expression, and then ordered, "Take off your jacket."

"What?!" Danny yelped. He reached up, clutching the suit jacket close. His cheeks burned, and a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

"I said _off_ ," Vlad growled, seemingly unaware of Danny's embarrassment. A bowl appeared beside him, the water dark and fragrant. A white rag hovered in the air, shifting as though worried. When the boy remained still in his mortification, Vlad simply reached out and grabbed the silky dark fabric. Whatever protest welling up in Danny's throat died as an odd sensation filled his chest. His blood ran cold and ice filled his lungs as his suit jacket was passed _through_ his body. Vlad tossed the ruined cloth aside, frowning at the dark red towel before also pulling it through Danny's flesh with a numbing tingle.

The wound was gaping, pale flesh a contrast to the dark blood that continued to ooze slowly. Danny blanched at the sight, but Vlad just hummed curiously, holding Danny's arm in place. The floating cloth dipped itself in the water before being wrung out and placed in Vlad's waiting hand. Vlad didn't spare Danny a glance before he began to wipe at the wound, stripping away the gummy, half dried blood with rough stokes of a burning antiseptic solution.

" _Ow_!" Danny yelped, jerking his arm out of Vlad's grasp. "What the hell? That hurt!"

Vlad snarled and grabbed him again, squeezing his wrist tight enough to bruise. "What did I tell you about using vulgar language?" He pressed the cloth to Danny's injury as the boy writhed.

"You didn't tell me anything!" Danny snapped. His body tensed, ready to kick off the ghost if he had to. He shouldn't have even come to dinner, he should have just hidden away in his room until he healed.

A cool breeze came between them, a calming touch gently prying Vlad's fingers away from Danny's arm. Red eyes snapped to the side and his mouth opened, but no sound came forth. Instead, his shoulders slowly hunched and he twisted his lips, grumbling under his breath. It reminded Danny of when he failed to sneak back in past curfew, his mother waiting with arms crossed.

Finally, after a long and awkward silence, Vlad sighed. He held up the pinkened cloth and asked in a strained voice, "Daniel, please allow me to see your wound so I may treat it."

Danny, despite the pain, wanted nothing more than to leave. To curl up in his bed and be far away from this angry creature with the ice cold aura. But he didn't want to risk infection or permanent injury if it healed improperly. So he took a deep, shuddering breath, and held out his hand. Vlad took his wrist and began to dab at the aching gash.

For some time, the only sounds were Danny's breath echoing in the dining room and the burning swipes of the antiseptic along his arm. The ice cold of Vlad's touch never warmed, and the cool breeze of the servant made chills race down Danny's spine. He almost wished the burning hot servant would appear to save him from the oddly blank expression on Vlad's face.

"It's called Snare Weed," Vlad spoke suddenly, making Danny jump. He didn't even bother to look up, replacing the disgusting cloth in the bowl. A roll of bandages appeared and he slowly began to wind them up Danny's arm. "The plant that attacked you, that is. It's a distant relative of the Blood Blossom and it keeps all of us here prisoner, not just you."

"What do you mean, 'all of us'?" Danny asked. His cut ached, from the pain and from the medicine, but the snugness of the bandages made it feel better. Vlad's hands lingered as he knotted the stretch of cotton, his lips twisting in thought. But still Danny pressed, leaning forward, "Vlad, what –?"

Danny was cut off with a yelp as Vlad's grip tightened painfully on his wrist. The ghost grunted as though in pain and he doubled over. His shoulders hunched and his body trembled as words were plucked from his throat in a halting, aching question, "Will you stay with me forever?"

Danny couldn't even wrench himself from Vlad's grip as he cried out, "What is going on?! Why do you keep asking that?!"

Just as suddenly as it had come on, Vlad released Danny's arm. His shoulders trembled and he seemed to be breathing harshly as though he'd run a marathon. He sat back on his heels and reached up to run trembling fingers through his hair. Without even a word of dismissal, Vlad vanished in a swirl of pink smoke leaving Danny alone and confused.


	11. Chapter 11

Danny walked up the spiraling staircase once again, absently sliding his hand along the dust free rail. It had been a surprise the first time he'd peeked behind the heavy wooden door, expecting to find just another worthless closet full of useless riches. But the tall staircase, leading tiringly up and up and up, had opened to an amazing surprise.

He reached the top of the stairs, proud that he wasn't gasping and panting like he had that first time, and pushed the intricately painted door aside. His bare feet were chilled by the tile flooring, and he shivered. This seemed to be the only room in the mansion not fully drenched in magic and for some reason Danny was glad for it. It made him feel less like a bird in an extravagant cage and more like an explorer, finding hidden treasures that actually meant something to him.

No stranger to heights, having helped his parents secure the Ops Center to the top of their house years and years ago, Danny unlatched one of the many windows in the circular room, leaning out to brush away the snowdrifts that caught on the sill. He wasn't sure if there was so much snow because of the constant string of storms the past week, or if it was due to the fact that he was at the highest point in the tallest tower of the castle. A cold wind gusted through the room, buffeting off the rest of the closed windows, and Danny shivered, thinking of Vlad.

It seemed as though the ghost were being distant, almost. It sounded odd, but that was as close as Danny could think of to describe him. He barely spoke at dinner, refusing to say anything to Danny and only asking that oddly strained question before vanishing immediately after. Danny had tried to speak to the invisible servant about it, but the cool breeze wouldn't, or couldn't, respond and the burning heat had yet to reappear at any point after he'd been attacked by the Snare Weed.

Danny glanced at his arm, seeing the long, thick scab that ran from the side of his wrist in a spiral around his arm almost to his elbow. Vlad had been so kind to care for his wound, despite his initial roughness, and it was healing nicely into what would be a long scar. Why, then, was he avoiding Danny?

He pulled open a second window, knocking the snow away and listening to it tumble down to the far away ground. Was Vlad really avoiding him? It hadn't felt that way when he'd first been trapped here. He wandered the castle during the day, saw Vlad at dinner time, and then he went to his room to sleep. In fact, Danny hadn't wanted to see Vlad. He was _glad_ that the ghost was staying away. But it made him all the more curious now. Where did Vlad go during the day? Danny had explored the castle from top to bottom by now and had yet to find anything that would resemble Vlad's private room.

" _You are free to roam the castle as you see fit. There is nowhere off limits to you aside the places that the living can not reach."_

Danny watched the sun set from his vantage point, the last bits of natural warmth descending beyond the horizon. Was that where Vlad went? To "places the living can not reach"? He shivered from something that wasn't a cold wind. For all that Vlad was polite and almost kind, he _was_ still a ghost. Magic still permeated the air he breathed and everything he touched and ate. If Danny did go looking for Vlad, and if he managed to find the ghost, what would that mean for him?

He grabbed the old telescope from where he'd propped it against the wall last time. He'd ruined another shirt a few nights ago, using the soft cloth to wipe away all the dust and grime and buildup from years of nonuse. To see such a beautiful instrument left to go to waste broke Danny's heart, and he was determined to bring it out of disrepair.

The legs squealed on rusted hinges as he adjusted the tripod, sticking the tube out the open window by several inches. He looked through the finderscope, wishing he had oil to smooth out the sticky base as he jerked the telescope into position. The stars weren't that different in Wisconsin as compared to Amity Park, and the thought made him feel at home. He even began to hum, rather tunelessly, under his breath.

" _Let me sing forever more..._

Soon enough, the sun vanished completely, leaving Danny draped in a deep purple velvet with the only sparkling gems he'd ever wanted.

* * *

Vlad scowled, tapping his fingertips on the table. His full wine glass had gone untouched, the food on the table cooling quickly. Beside him, Dorathea tittered about nervously. She had tried to call Danny down from the astronomy tower for dinner, and he had waved her off with an absent "in a moment."

She now realized she should have been far more persistent in dragging him down from the clouds.

"Where. Is. He," Vlad breathed, each word a terrifying hiss.

Dorathea fought the urge to flinch, knowing it would only draw attention to herself. Though Vlad had never struck her, she had learned to fear men from an early age. She licked her lips and tried to speak, but she couldn't even squeak.

With a deceptively calm movement, Vlad grabbed a silver fork. He turned it back and forth in his palm, as though he hadn't memorized every minuscule scratch and every invisible dent in the polished utensil. He ran his thumb over each prong, counting them once and then again. Then, with a snarl, his hand became engulfed with pink flames. His grip melted the silver, distorting it and rendering it into a useless mangle of expensive junk. He slammed his hands to the table and stood, chair flying out behind him.

" _Where is that little brat_?!" Vlad screamed, eyes blazing and filling the room with a crimson glow. His cape billowed out with a wave of ice cold power and he floated above the stone floor, boot tips barely scraping the golden floor. He turned on his servant, snarling and baring sharp fangs with an enraged hiss.

Dorathea huddled away, sobbing as she covered herself with her arms. She could hear her brother bones crunching, hear the hiss of shifting scales. She would be lucky to escape with a new set of scars to cover underneath long sleeves and billowing skirts.

Vlad's rage faltered for just a brief moment at Dorathea's fear. He allowed himself to drop back to the floor, and tried to fight back the glow of his eyes. He squared his shoulders and crossed his arms behind his back, fingertips digging into his arms with bruising strength. He tilted his head to look down his nose and spoke in sharp, clipped words.

"Mistress Spectra has proven that she can not keep her eye on the boy to protect him. I placed him specifically in your care, Princess. _Where_ is he?"

Thick tears left pearlescent tracks down her cheeks, and she shivered under his horrible gaze. Her lips trembled and she gaped a few times before she could find her words. "I, I called for him, sir. He said he would be down right away and told me to go ahead. I know I should have stayed, but I didn't believe he could come to any harm within your walls, and -"

"Where did you leave him?" Vlad growled, cutting off the distraught woman. He could feel guilty about her tears later. After he found the boy.

"I-in the astronomy tower..."

Ice washed over Dorathea as Vlad vanished and she collapsed in a shaking heap. _Please_ , she thought, bowing her head. _Please don't ruin this..._

* * *

" _In other words... please, be true..._ "

Danny was amazed at how bright the stars were above Vlad's castle. So far removed from any other human, the only light pollution was the crescent of the moon hanging in the sky. Despite its age, the telescope was powerful, drowning him in the endless sky.

Oh, how he missed his room. He missed his bookshelf full of DVDs, his PlayStation and computer and all his multiplayer games he stayed up all night playing. He'd ordered a new NASA poster, and it was supposed to have arrived a few days ago. He couldn't remember if he'd brought his laundry up from the dryer, or if he'd packed his backpack for the new semester. Jazz had tried to leave him a few college brochures on his pillow, but he'd thrown them in the trash. Were they still in there? Or had his mother finally cleaned all traces of him out of the house.

The viewer fogged up suddenly and Danny pulled away, scrubbing roughly at his eyes and clenching his teeth. _Stop that_ , he told himself. He didn't have the luxury to miss his modern comforts. He had no time anymore to wonder about his friends or his family. He was _here_ now, with Vlad, and...

"Vlad!" Danny jerked away from the telescope. He'd completely forgotten to go back downstairs for dinner! He'd waved off the invisible servant without even realizing the time. Maybe, if he was lucky, it wouldn't be as late as it appeared and he'd be able to sneak down to the dining room.

He turned, ready to bolt down the spiral staircase, when he was suddenly knocked over by a cold blast. He fell hard with a yelp, gagging and coughing on the burst of pink mist that enveloped him.

Danny waved away the smoke to hide the quivering in his limbs, but he couldn't raise his gaze past the boots that floated inches off the ground. Vlad was glowing, his freezing aura pulsating with an enraged heartbeat. His cape was lashing out behind him, making the ghost appear larger than he was. His eyes were glowing, highlighting the sharp angles of his face as he snarled down at the boy.

"Have I mistreated you so terribly?" Vlad growled, voice bouncing off the tower's windows and spilling out into the courtyard. "I have given you freedom, I have allowed you to roam _my_ home, to fill your pockets with _my_ treasures -"

"I haven't taken anything!" Danny snapped, glaring up directly into Vlad's eyes. But the ghost continued to speak over him.

"- given you everything you could ever want, and all I have asked for in return is one thing. _One_ simple request, that you join me nightly for dinner. And tonight you have shown your true self as a vow-breaking _brat_."

"Hold on, one damn minute!" Danny scrambled to his feet, jabbing his finger into Vlad's chest. He glowered at the ghost's surprised blink. "I forgot about dinner, ok? I'll admit that. I got distracted and I _forgot_. But there's no way you're going to stand there and accuse me of being a thief and a brat and whatever else you're going to call me. The _only_ thing I've taken is the clothing that _you've_ offered me.

"All your gold and your diamonds and junk – I don't care about any of that! I don't want your stuff any more than, than you want me to be here! I stayed because I _promised_ I would stay, but you've done nothing to make me _want_ to stay. If you want me gone so bad, then why are you keeping me here?!"

"You are here because you are _mine_!" Vlad roared. Danny grit his teeth, refusing to flinch away. "You were called here and you will remain here until you are replaced!"

"What... what are you talking about?" Danny flung his arms out wide, pleading and begging. "I only see you for, like, an hour a day, and all you do is say this cryptic, creepy shit! How was I 'called'? Who or what is going to 'replace' me?!"

"It's nothing you need to concern your-"

"Don't tell me that again!" He grabbed at his hair and pulled until he saw white. "It _is_ my concern because it's somehow about me! Tell me! Tell me, _please_!"

Vlad looked down at the fearless boy who was glaring directly at him. All the other women had been docile little things, following his every word and would never think of speaking back, let alone argue and yell. He was unsure, and a little unsettled.

Then, his body jerked. The ice of his aura pulled into him, freezing his lungs and throat. His vision filled with red, and he dropped to his knees. His words stuck to his lips, choking him and he reached up to grab at his jaw, digging his fingers into his own flesh. He bit at his tongue, curling into himself. Every word the curse wrenched from him felt like a knife, slicing through his throat as he ground out, "Will you stay with me forever?"

The curse held him tight, causing his muscles to tremble and his insides to ache while he awaited Danny's response.

The boy heaved a dry sob, confusion rendering him unable to even cry. He crouched and reached out for the agonized form, huddled on the ground before him. The anger was gone, but not forgotten, and all he wanted were answers.

"Why do you keep asking me that every night? What else do you want me to say? I'm already here..."

Vlad released a deep, shaky breath as he felt Danny's warm hand gently touch his shoulder. The curse drained from his body, leaving his limbs feeling heavy and useless. He looked up, focusing on a point just above Danny's head. "It is far too late for dinner now. Go back to your room, or go to the kitchen if you are hungry. I will see you tomorrow evening."

"Wait!" Danny cried, but it was too late. Vlad vanished in a swirl of pink mist, leaving Danny completely alone.

* * *

A/N: Early chapter for you guys this week since I'm going out of town. Enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

Mr Lancer looked at his attendance sheet, placing another red mark in Danny's column. He had stopped bothering to call the boy's name after a few days, if only to avoid having the rest of the class hear his disappointment. He'd pulled aside Sam and Tucker, together and individually, and tried to ask them about Danny's whereabouts. But both teens just gave him troubled looks and said they had no idea.

So he called the Fenton home twice a day. Once during his free period in the morning and once when he left the school after grading the day's assignments. He'd even tried a few times that weekend, hoping to catch one of them while they were doing some odd task or home repair (as Fenton Works looked like it was in dire need of). But he'd never gotten anything more than a full answering machine. Once, it sounded as though the dog had knocked the phone off the hook, barking into the receiver.

And even as he turned to the whiteboard, his mind was racing. He drew out all the details and nuances of Brave New World, automatically comparing it to 1984. His movements were methodical and mechanic, this was a lesson he'd taught a hundred times before. It was simple and easy, and the students that read the books could see the parallels and the ones that hadn't could infer enough to pass the pop quiz he always gave at the end of this particular class. A lesson like this made it easy to think about his most troublesome student, and ways he could stretch his limited resources to help.

Star raised her hand and asked a question he didn't hear. But it was one asked so many times before, he'd answered it before he realized he had done so.

He called for notebooks to be put up and backpacks to be tucked under desks. Students groaned as they realized what he was about to pass out, but dutifully fished out pencils and pens. He sat at his desk and absently listened to the soothing hiss of graphite and the scratch of ink. He pulled out an answer key for last week's test and a stack of booklets from his afternoon class. The felt tipped red pen settled nicely in his hand and he twirled it between his fingers for a moment before flicking off the lid. He looked at the top of his first test for the name and automatically mirrored the action to his answer key.

Jazz Fenton.

Mr Lancer dropped his pen, a splash of red marring the first question. Of course! He'd never been able to catch Maddie on his own before, always having to recruit the elder Fenton child in order to snare her attention.

He set down the test and the key, unlocking a drawer in his desk. He flipped through the file folders until he found the students' personal info sheets they'd all filled out the first day. Home addresses, school sponsored email accounts, and emergency contact info. He took out Danny's sheet, the edges slightly burnt and the page tinted with something that glowed green and growled sometimes. His address simply listed "Fenton Works", which was honestly more helpful than the street number, and under emergency contact he'd listed his sister's cell phone.

Mr. Lancer smiled, wishing he thought of the info sheet a few days ago. He grabbed a sticky note and used his grading pen to copy down the digits. He would call her on his free period and hope that he wasn't interrupting any of her more important classes.

* * *

Jazz skimmed through her Phych 201 textbook, highlighter and pen alternating in her hand, a pad of sticky flags between her lips. She was curled up in a far corner of the library, earbuds playing a low, soothing classical music to drown out the buzzing chatter of other studying students. She glanced up at the large clock on the wall, watching the long minute hand tick over. If she timed it right, she would have exactly enough time to swing by the vending machine, take the two flights of stairs, and be in her usual front row seat.

 _Fourty-five seconds left_ , Jazz told herself. That would give her fifteen seconds to throw her pens in her pockets and her book in her backpack. She sticky noted a particularly interesting paragraph, and dragged her highlighter across a few words. With a flick of her wrist, she switched to her pen and scribbled a sequence of letters that would make sense to her later. She raced against the second hand, eyes flying as she turned the page. She counted the beats of her music, biting the plastic flags to keep from cheering out loud as she finished the paragraph just in time.

She snapped her book shut with one hand, unzipping her backpack with the other. She slid the textbook between two others, stretching the fabric until it creaked. She would have to buy a new backpack before this one ripped in the hallways like the last one had. She opened the front pocket and threw in her pen, highlighter, and flags, zipping it closed as she stood. She took three steps and then fell into a nearby chair as she finally registered that her phone was glowing. Who could be calling her at this time of day?

The screen flashed once before going dark as she fished out her phone, but she managed to catch the saved name. Mr. Lancer? She tapped redial with a deep sigh, popping out her earbuds.

What had Danny done this time?

The phone rang as she glanced at the clock. Class had just started. This had better be _super_ important...

"Hello? Mr. Lancer?" Jazz asked as soon as her phone clicked to life. A young woman at the table across from her glared and Jazz winced. She'd forgotten about the others in her quiet corner.

"Miss. Jasmine, I hope I'm not keeping you from class," Mr. Lancer said quickly.

"Don't worry about it," Jazz said quickly. "What did Danny do now?" She winced at the venom in her own tone. But she couldn't help it – he'd been _suspended_ two weeks ago.

"It's not so much what he's done, but where he's gone."

Jazz twisted her lips. "Look, if you found him in the girls' bathroom, I'm sure that Sam dragged him in there..."

"No, no, not like that at all. I'm simply wondering if you happen to know where he currently is."

"What... are you talking about?" Jazz breathed. "He should be at home, he should be in class right now."

The silence on the other end made Jazz feel weak.

"He _is_ in class right now, right? He, his suspension was up last week. He should be in school, what time is it in Amity Park?!" Jazz's voice had reached a high pitched squeal that made the other student glare at her and move tables.

"Miss. Jasmine, please calm down," Mr. Lancer said quickly as Jazz hyperventilated in his ear. "I am merely wondering if your mother has come to collect him as she has before. This is not the first time he has been pulled from class without warning."

Jazz hadn't realized that she had stood until she collapsed back into her chair. "You're right. That's right." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Mom does these things all the time. Usually she lets me know, but I didn't see her on winter vacation. She probably left without her phone and Danny didn't have time to grab his. She knows about Danny's attendance issues, so once she remembers I'm sure she'll head straight home." She paused and thought for a moment. "If I don't hear from either of them by the end of the week, I'll head home this weekend and wait them out."

"I don't mean to interrupt your studies," Mr. Lancer began slowly.

Jazz grimaced. She hated that phrase. It made it seem like her life was nothing more than tests and grades. She had friends and she had her hobbies. She cared about her family, she _did_. She was more than a textbook and perfect scores.

"It's fine," she insisted. "My family means more to me than my grades."

"I know," Mr. Lancer said, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice. He that been the only one to continue to treat her like a person and not like some kind of trophy after the C.A.T. exams.

"Thank you." She glanced at the clock on the wall. Suddenly, being late for class didn't seem so upsetting. "I'll call home in my off time, see if I can try and get a hold of Dad. Thanks for calling, Mr. Lancer."

* * *

Vlad paced in his room, arms locked behind his back, brow furrowed, and fangs bared. Spectra had been banished to some menial task at the far end of the castle lest he allow his rage make him do something he would regret later. He hadn't seen Dorathea all morning either, the distraught princess focusing all her motherly tenderness on his prisoner.

Because that was all the boy was. He was a temporary prisoner, disposable at a moment's notice.

Vlad whirled on one boot, flying up to the large mirror and demanding, "Show me the next one!"

The glass misted over, a green fog showing Danny in the library, toying with a large diamond. He still looked troubled and Dorathea fretted over him, either out of compassion for the boy or fear of her master.

But that wasn't what he wanted. Vlad snarled and gripped the golden frame. "Not the boy – the next woman! Show me the one the curse has taken!"

The green mist roiled and rippled across the glass, condensing into an opaque fog that left him gaping. In all his time, the mirror had never refused to reveal what he wanted to see, even showing silhouettes of what could possibly come to be should he wish to scry the future. But this time, outright refusing to bring any image from its depths? It made Vlad want to smash the mirror against the floor.

Ice cold fire gathered at his fingertips and he roared as he flung it with all his might. Two balls of flickering pink flame slammed into the wall on either side of his mirror, cracking the stone where they connected and scorching the full corner of the room. Boots clicked on the floor as he dropped, grabbing a chair and smashing it into his writing desk. He shredded the curtains around his bed and ripped the mattress apart with an explosion of feathers.

" _What is the point?!_ " he didn't realize he was screaming. "Why is he here?! How has he not left and been replaced?"

Horseheair and straw now littered the floor as Vlad finished with his bedding. He kicked repeatedly at the bedframe, the wood splintering with long, thick cracks.

"I ignore him, and he stays! I scream and yell, and he stays! I tell him he means _nothing_ , and he _stays_!"

The mahogany groaned and collapsed under the assault, scattering into the mess left behind by his rage. He collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily in an instinctive attempt to calm his powers. He curled his hands into fists and beat against the floor, weak and tired from his tantrum.

"He answers me every night, but he never says no..."

* * *

Danny was dreading dinner that night. He stayed in his room as long as he could, playing with the jewels in the drawers in the desk. He walked into the closet and leafed through the suits that were slowly replacing the gowns and skirts. He looked at the gold in the wardrobe and under the bed.

When he was sufficiently bored, he wandered into the library where he couldn't even bring himself to read. He found a diamond on one of the shelves and tried to practice juggling. When all he did was drop it over and over, he began to spin it like a top, watching the prisms of light reflect in a rainbow whirl on the table.

And when the anxiety made his legs itch and his fingers twitch, he got up again. He walked past the heavy wooden door that lead to the spiral staircase. He didn't want to think about him today. He wanted to just... exist.

He found the bathroom and took a shower. He found a closet full of paintings, distracting himself for a few moments by flipping through dusty canvases of still lifes and faded landscapes.

At some point, he ended up in a large study, sorting the gems in the drawers of a desk by color and size.

The whole time he shivered. All day, the invisible servant had hovered so close, he was getting chills. It felt as though the servant was sitting on his shoulders, unwilling to leave him alone. He'd even felt the presence while he'd showered, cheeks burning the whole time.

But it wasn't like he could tell her to leave him alone. The one time he'd hesitantly suggested it, the breeze had just pressed closer, almost suffocating him with her presence.

"I'm sorry I forgot," Danny mumbled, sitting on the floor and comparing two topazes. They were the same size, but one was round and the other was square and he was debating which one would fit into the "small drawer" and in the "tiny drawer".

The servant, hovering up and down like a stress inducing bobber, hesitated for a moment.

Danny licked his lips and decided that both topazes were "tiny" and he carefully stacked them in the yellow corner.

"The other night, when I forgot dinner." As though he had to remind the servant. He had felt her fear all morning as she followed him. "I think I got you in trouble, too. I didn't mean to." He looked apologetically at the servant and then dropped his gaze back to his dwindling pile of gems. It didn't feel worth it right now to separate out the diamonds from the white sapphires and the clear beryl.

He began to stack a few transparent, square cut jewels as high as they could go. "I just wish I knew why he was being such a jerk. It's not like I can avoid him, and the one time I did – on _accident,_ mind you – he tracked me down and flipped out." He rotated a sapphire (diamonds sparkled in a certain way that the others didn't) and placed it on top. His tower swayed, but stayed upright. "I mean, it's not like _you_ can tell me anything. And where did the other one go, anyway? I haven't felt her in a while." He grabbed a super clear stone, an emerald, and held it over the top of the tower as his won words hit him.

When did he realize the servants were both women? When did he learn that they _couldn't_ speak to him? How did he know where the servants were standing, when they didn't even create a ripple in the air?

Danny dropped his hands to the floor, carelessly knocking over his tower. He swallowed hard, trying to still his nerves. The servant pressed gently on his shoulder. For reassurance, for support, for comfort, for the simple reminder.

"I know, I know. It's time for dinner."


	13. Chapter 13

Danny smiled at the servant who pulled out his chair. He whispered a quiet "thank you" to her as he took his seat. He set his shaking hands in his lap and took a deep breath. He could do this. He could get through this dinner without incident. And then tomorrow night's dinner.

And then the next one.

And the next.

Until... when?

Certainly not until he grew old and died. If anything, according to Vlad he was overstaying his time in the castle. He was supposed to be replaced soon, right?

He felt his servant vanish from his side, and he looked up to see Vlad seated across the table from him. There was no trace of the ghost's anger from the previous night, a calm smile curving his lips. He took up his wine glass, paying no attention to it as it was filled.

Danny watched as the table filled with food, the wonderful aroma making him want to drool. He wondered if the other servant had been the one cooking lately, for her cool breeze had smothered him with motherly love since his injury. If so, he hoped she would come around soon, so that he could thank her. It must be hard work cooking everything every night.

Vlad was silent as he sipped his wine. He made no condescending remarks toward Danny's disheveled appearance, nor did he ask what he'd been up to all day. He seemed content enough to let the night pass in silence until they could part their ways as they usually did.

"H-how was your day?" Danny asked a little too loudly, blushing as his voice echoed off the walls.

Vlad, to his credit, only sputtered into his wine for a quick moment before he was able to recompose himself.

"What do you mean, Daniel?"

Danny dragged a steak onto his plate, busying himself by cutting into it as he felt his cheeks burn furiously. Why was this so awkward? It should feel like he was hanging out with his friends by now. If they were dead. And keeping him prisoner for an indeterminate amount of time.

"I spent my afternoon in one of the rooms on the third floor. I organized the jewels I found in one of the desks." Danny pierced a thin strip of steak on his fork, finally able to control his blush enough to glance up at Vlad and ask, "What did you do today?"

Vlad regarded him for a long time. He set his glass of wine on the table and watched Danny as he chewed slowly. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them.

"I spent my time in my room, contemplating. Why do you feel the need to know?"

"I don't _need_ to know anything." Danny poked at his steak. His insides were already full of nerves and didn't want to see his dinner make a reappearance any time soon. "I just... want to talk to you. Get to know you, or something."

Vlad laughed suddenly, a deep sound that made the breath in Danny's lungs rattle. He grabbed his wine glass and brought it to his lips. "You want to 'get to know' your captor?"

"No, I don't," Danny huffed. "I want to know _you_. I want to know _Vlad_ , not the ghost that told me I had free reign over his house."

"Is there truly a difference?" Vlad asked, and even Danny could fell the bitterness dripping from each word.

"There has to be. Otherwise we wouldn't be talking like this right now, would we?"

Vlad drained his wine in one large, uncouth gulp. He drummed his fingers along the stem of the glass. "So you wish me to tell you everything? From my wretched childhood to an uneventful adult life to the downfall that led you here?"

Danny shrugged. "Not really. Well, I mean, it'd be cool to know all that, but for now..." Danny looked across the table into surprised eyes. "I just want to know how you're doing tonight."

"Tonight..." Vlad set his glass on the table, looking into the droplets that clung to the smooth glass. "I am well."

Danny smiled, feeling his stomach unclench. He happily dug back into his meal, savoring the taste. He'd have to remember to pass along his thanks to whoever cooked it.

"So how'd you get so rich, anyway?" he asked, looked around the table. His eyes lit up when he saw the dark, tangy bread he liked. "I've never seen a jewelry store with half as many diamonds as you have."

"Why should I tell you?" Vlad snapped, baring his fangs. "So that you can find the source and be off with all my riches? You wish to fill your pockets with _my_ money and leave me alone and penniless? You-"

Vlad was cut off by a crumpled roll of bread that bounced of his head and landed in his wineglass. His jaw dropped and he stared across the table at Danny who rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"Geeze, don't you _ever_ get tired of being angry all the time?" Danny ripped off another chunk of bread from the loaf with an exhausted sigh, debating whether or not to roll it into another missile. "I ask a simple question and you blow up on me. I was _just_ curious." He popped the bread in his mouth with a smile. He was sorry he'd wasted that first bite now.

Vlad looked at Danny, and then at the bread that was slowly absorbing the remainders of his wine. He was at a loss, never before had he ever had to deal with a situation such as this. The women never wanted to know anything about him, the curse leaving them empty headed and emotionless. Even Dorathea and Spectra had always followed his command without question. But for someone to come into his home, treat him like he was...

He was still human.

Vlad handed his dirtied glass to Dorathea, ignoring her stifled giggling. She set down the bottle and flew quickly into the kitchen to retrieve him another.

"In my life I was a monster hunter," Vlad said, not quite able to look at Danny.

Danny almost choked on his bread. He hadn't thought Vlad would speak to him after his immature stunt. It took a moment before the ghost's words caught up to him.

"That's what my parents do!" he told Vlad. "But they have to get government grants and sell weapons on the side to make ends meet."

"They obviously haven't met the right people to hunt for." Vlad delicately took a pastry and set it on his plate. His first bite tasted like a mouthful of ashes, but Danny's wide-eyed astonishment kept him from spitting it out. "I traveled Europe in my youth. I banished faeries for kings and fought ghouls for dukes. I was sought out by sheikhs and emperors to cleanse their lands and temples. It was dangerous work, but fulfilling."

"Did you ever get hurt?" Danny asked.

"All the time." Vlad waved off the look of concern on Danny's face. It made something inside him ache and he didn't like it. "But it gave me the chance to learn remedies for various wounds and poisons and aftereffects of possession, all very useful things."

Danny opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. What use would it be to ask Vlad if he knew how to return his father to normal if he was never going to leave. He dropped his arms to the table, wincing when he accidentally hit his wound.

"... Are you all right?" Vlad hesitated to ask.

"Y, yeah. I just..." Danny dropped his gaze and rubbed at his arm.

"Is your injury still bothering you?"

"Only when I hit it like an idiot," Danny grumbled. "Thanks, by the way, for taking care of it. If you'd left it up to me, my whole arm probably would have fallen off by now."

"Nonsense," Vlad said flippantly. "You were in need and I was available to help. I would have done it for any of the others."

"What others? The servants?"

Vlad fell silent, his calculating gaze carefully raking over the boy seated across from him. What danger would it pose, he wondered, if he told Danny about the curse? Certainly once he was gone, the castle would wipe his mind as it did to all the rest.

"There is a curse upon this castle," Vlad said at length. "My servants and I are burdened with immortality, existing in this strange veil between life and death. We are all bound to this castle and unable to go beyond the gates else we suffer great pain."

Danny frowned. "I guess that explains why my mom came here – she's the best cursebreaker in Amity Park. But if you can't leave, how'd she know you were here?"

"It is not just the three of us who are subject to this curse. It... calls, I suppose would be the correct phrasing, women from all around. They come, one by one, to my castle, each one empty headed and blind to everything except my riches. They stay as long as the curse needs them and then they are sent on their way. I do them no harm, nor do I fail to take care of their every need and whim."

"But why?" Danny asked. "If these women just show up and leave, why are they here in the first place? Is that... Is that why you ask that question all the time? About staying here?"

Vlad waved Danny off. "It is merely my part in the curse. The words I say are just that – words. They mean nothing and nothing will come of them."

"What if I say yes?" Danny's face burned furiously once again as Vlad suddenly stared at him, and he stammered on quickly, "I-I mean, what if one of the women says yes, not, not me."

Vlad felt a peculiar warmth in his cheeks, and he couldn't quite meet Danny's eye. "It is a very particular phrase that must be said, and it must be meant wholeheartedly. A simple agreement will do nothing to assuage the curse."

"Oh..." Danny was deep in thought. "But what if –?"

Vlad's body jerked suddenly, his hands clenching and teeth grinding. Danny watched as his eyes glowed and his shoulders tensed. Knowing now that this was the effect of a curse made Danny's heart ache. He wanted desperately to help, wishing he knew what phrase it was that could break the poor ghost's curse.

"Will you stay with me forever?" Vlad snarled, and Danny could hear the touch of loneliness and desperation beyond the words.

"I want to help," Danny said quietly. "I'll do what I can."

Vlad relaxed with a deep sigh, his aching body falling limp in his chair. He sat still for a long moment, with his eyes closed. Then, as his body began to vanish in a swirl of smoke, Danny heard his voice echo one last time.

"There is nothing you can do."


	14. Chapter 14

Danny could barely sleep that night. He lay in his bed, hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the dark ceiling. Vlad's words echoed in his mind over and over.

Cursed.

Burdened with immortality.

Caught between life and death.

Bound to the castle.

What kind of creature had caught up to Vlad? Was it a monster he had vanquished come for revenge? Or perhaps it was some new kind of demon, one Vlad had failed to defeat in his own home. He could remember his own mother sobbing over Jack's new form, how she'd hidden away in the lab for days afterward. She'd only gone back to work with the love and support of her children. Had Vlad been all alone afterwards? Is that why he was such a colossal jerk all the time?

Danny yawned, the candelabra dimming as his eyes slowly began to close.

 _I won't let him be lonely any more..._

* * *

Danny groaned at the gentle touch on his shoulder. He pulled the cover over his head and curled deeper into the mattress.

"G'way," he mumbled. The servant tugged lightly at the blanket, pulling it down to his shoulders. Danny wriggled, burying his head under the pillow and pulling it tight around his ears to muffle the silence. "Ten minutes," he promised. "Gimme ten minutes..."

There was a pause. And then a gentle weight of his usual suit being placed over his ankles. He couldn't hear it, but he felt the stirring of air in his room as the servant opened his door and left. He opened his eyes, his sleep blurred room slowly coming into focus. That was rude, he thought. She took the time to come and care for him, and he'd sent her away without a second thought.

He yawned and stretched, lingering thoughts of the previous night swirling around in his mind. He would try harder to be nice to Vlad, help him through this curse as best as he could. He grabbed his suit and padded down the hallway to the shower. The servant had long since learned that he didn't wear the jacket or tie, and she was careful to not include them in his morning bundle. Had he ever thanked her for picking up on that?

He'd gotten used to the lukewarm water that rained down on him, and despite the oddity of it, he had mastered the use of the soap nozzle. The towel he used wasn't as fluffy as the ones that came from the dryer at home, but it was quickly becoming just as familiar and comforting. Once he ran the towel through his hair, leaving it just damp enough to be frizzy, he folded it and laid it on the counter. He wondered, sometimes, if he should try and find the laundry room. It didn't feel right to leave every single mess to the servants.

He pulled on the slacks and buttoned up the shirt. The scab on his arm was soft, and he picked at it for a moment. Cuts like that always drove him crazy, and he couldn't wait for it to scar up and flake away.

He slowly made his way down the stairs. He figured would probably spend his day in the library. He'd already tore through all the books on space, as out of date and fantastical as they were, and now he was wondering if there were any on curses and how to break them. But before that...

Danny ran a hand over his stomach. He'd gotten caught up in talking to Vlad last night, he hadn't eaten as much as he normally did. And then all that tossing and turning when he should have been sleeping left him feeling rather empty.

The dining hallway was filled with the smell of food and soap. The servant must be washing dishes while she slow roasted whatever dinner was going to be that night. He smiled, thinking that she wouldn't mind if he snagged a bite as a taste test. He reached the kitchen, ready to beeline for the pantry when he heard it.

Someone was humming. Singing a few nonsensical notes, as though they didn't expect to be overheard.

Danny shuffled close, making as little noise as possible, and he peered around the corner at the intruder into Vlad's mansion. His hands were shaking, and he grabbed at the door frame to still them.

She was in a long blue dress, the hemline brushing along the floor as she bobbed in a small dance. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back into an even longer braid, a blue ribbon intertwined in the thick locks. She apparently hadn't noticed Danny as she rinsed off a pan, and his eyes flew open as she set it aside. Was her skin _green_?

Danny wasn't aware he was speaking until he heard his own voice asking, "Who are you?"

The woman whipped around with a surprising amount of grace. Her red eyes were wide and she pressed her sudsy hands to green lips as her jaw fell. A small squeak escaped her, but she couldn't seem to get her throat to work.

He worried that she was the next victim, an "empty-headed and blind" woman forced to succumb to the curse laid upon this castle. "Ma'am, are you –?"

"You can see me?" the woman finally croaked. She stepped forward, gliding along the floor as though she were...

As though she were floating.

And that's when he felt it. The cool breeze that had dutifully awoken him, had left him his clothing and allowed him to sleep in.

"You're the servant," Danny breathed. His knees felt weak and he almost collapsed. But those gentle hands caught him, helping lower him to the floor. "But I – You... How can –?"

"How can you see me?" the servant didn't seem to have any trouble asking the question Danny was stumbling over.

Unbidden, the words from that first terrifying dinner came to him.

" _I have servants, invisible to mortal eyes."_

Was he... not mortal anymore? Surely Danny would have noticed if he'd _died_ in the night, wouldn't he? His breath was coming in quick gasps, his chest heaving and his heart racing. Or was he just imagining all that? Was he really still and cold with his remains back in his bed?

The woman grabbed his shoulders with an unfamiliar roughness. She gave him a single light shake and her words were sharp as she spoke. "Master Daniel, calm yourself. Take a deep breath and hold it."

Danny tried. His breath shuddered and he coughed as it caught in his throat. But the servant continued to speak, walking him through the simple act of breathing until his body relaxed. He blinked, realizing belatedly that he'd been crying as his vision suddenly cleared. A silk handkerchief was pressed into his hand and he wiped at his face, hiding in the soft cloth until he no longer felt like he was going to pass out.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. "Am I dead?"

"No, Master Daniel," the servant said. "I do not believe so. The dead don't often panic like you have."

Danny glanced up. She was smiling. She'd made a joke. That was good, wasn't it?

"Then how...?"

"I do not know," she said, smile slipping slightly. "This has... never happened before. The only one that ever been able to see us is Lord Vlad."

Danny lowered his gaze, staring at the floor but not really seeing it. What did this mean? Was he now cursed as well? How could this happen?

His stomach growled, loud and long, and he blushed as the servant giggled. She urged him to stand, holding onto him as he swayed on his feet.

"Come along, Master Daniel. You should eat something. It will help to calm you."

He was led to the pantry, bread and fruit being pressed into his hands. He considered a small, tart apple, running his thumb over the dull surface.

"Danny," he said softly. The servant looked at him and he gave her a shaky smile. "I've been trying to get Vlad to call me that for ages. No 'master' and not 'Daniel'. Just... Danny is fine."

"All right then. Danny." She looked a little uncomfortable with the casual name, but when he nodded she relaxed.

"What's your name?" Danny asked. Now that he could hear her voice, it would be rude to continue to refer to her as "the servant."

The woman curtsied low, spreading her skirts and bowing her head with a reverence Danny didn't feel he deserved. "I am Dorathea of the Kingdom of Aragon."

"Is that... in England somewhere?" Danny ventured as he nibbled at the apple. He didn't want to be rude, but he was feeling lightheaded and figured it would be worse to pass out while talking.

Dorathea hid a giggle behind her hand. "No M- Danny. I come from a world beyond the veil. My country doesn't exist on this Earth, nor do any of my people."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Danny fiddled with his apple, guilt crashing down on him. _Way to go_ , he thought angrily. _She's under a curse and far from home and you go and –_

"It's all right," Dorathea said, her lilting voice interrupting his self-depreciating tirade. "I never cared for any of my family anyway. They were brutes, the whole lot of them."

Danny looked up, and when he couldn't find any waiver in her smile, he finally felt himself relax.

* * *

With his stomach full and his guilt assuaged, Danny found himself walking alongside Dorathea as they made their way to the library. After being so alone for so long, he found he couldn't stop himself from talking. He told Dorathea about his family (but he left out how he was a moron in comparison), he spoke of his friends (but not how they were better off now that he was gone), and he tried to explain the concept of high school (without mentioning the bullies).

"The women of my country were never allowed to read or write, and yet it is _encouraged_ in your world?" Dorathea had paused in her floating, falling a pace behind Danny in her awe.

Danny ducked his head to hide a grin. Her wide-eyed expression of shock made him feel important, like he was indulging the secrets of the universe to her.

"I actually read a study not too long ago," he said, failing to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Girls are actually doing _better_ in school than boys are."

Dorathea flew in front of him, hands clasped and eyes glittering at the idea of her gender doing better than she could have ever prayed for. "Oh, Master Daniel," (she was still getting used to how informally Danny wanted to be addressed) "please don't tease me. Is this truly a time where women are allowed such freedoms?"

Before Danny could respond to her overwhelming enthusiasm, a sharp voice cut across the hallway.

"Be careful, Miss. Dora, or the boy will walk right through you."

Danny watched as Dorathea tensed, turning with a stiff nonchalance. It reminded him of when he saw Dash storming up to him after a pop quiz. A tall woman had just appeared, pulling her feet out from the floor. Bright red hair was piled high on her head, curving up into an appearance of horns. Or scythes. Her form-hugging dress looked closer to a suit, and it burned just as brightly, giving her the appearance of a wildfire, reinforced by the burning aura that flowed in heated waves. Lips, painted the color of blood, stretched into a smirk and she sat back in the air, crossing her legs at the knee.

Dorathea curtsied, a rigid and inelegant movement completely unlike the grace she had shown that morning. But, as she moved out of his way, Danny saw a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Greetings, Mistress Spectra. May I introduce you to young Danny?"

"Hello," Danny said, with a small wave. "It's nice to meet you, Spectra."

Danny couldn't stop the snort of laughter as Spectra's emerald eyes bugged out. She stumbled in the air, falling out of her relaxed lounge, and her jaw dropped.

"You...? You –? _You_?!" Spectra's tongue seemed to be stuck as she pointed long, sharp nails at Danny.

Dorathea's eyes were glittering, and Danny was certain she'd never been able to pull one over on Spectra like this ever before. "Yes, him, him, him."

"But, how can...?" Spectra continued to sputter.

"Will you continue to say nothing?" Dorathea asked, voice dripping with poisoned honey. She was definitely enjoying this. "Or will you continue to be so rude to our guest?"

The glare Spectra shot Dorathea could have melted steel. Danny shrank back a step, gulping as that caught the other servant's attention. Her shock seemed to drain out of her and she shook her head, dropping down until her high heeled boots hovered just a hair's breadth from the floor. "Danny, I do apologize for my rudeness. Certainly you can not think ill of my manners under the circumstances."

Danny swallowed down the rush of fear, feeling the heat building up under his collar. He couldn't shake the phantom images of Dash's fist flying toward his face, the cramped feeling of being stuffed in a tiny locker overnight. But this servant, Spectra, had never been overtly cruel to him. A little rough and somewhat flighty, certainly, but nothing to deserve this subconscious wariness.

"It's fine," Danny heard himself mumble. He tried to smile, and was almost blinded by the brightness of her grin. Her mouth was stretched a little to wide, her eyes a little too bright, and even the apologetic tone of her words seemed a little thick.

"I just remembered, Miss. Dora," Spectra said, voice a low purr. "I'm needed down in the ball room. Certainly you can look after our guest on your own, can't you?"

Without waiting for a reply, Spectra vanished through the floor, taking her sweltering heat with her. Danny watched as Dorathea pursed her lips, certain she wanted to say something.

"Dorathea...?" Danny asked, wondering if he should reach out for her.

But just the sound of her name jerked her back to the present and she turned to Danny with a sincere, gentle smile. "Forgive me, I seem to have gotten distracted. Do you still wish to go to the library?"

"You're fine." They took up their leisurely pace once more, though the air was distinctly heavier than it was before. "Spectra seems a little, uh, overwhelming, sometimes."

"That _woman._ " The words were spat before Dorathea regained control of herself. "Mistress Spectra means well, she's simply..." It looked like hard work for Dorathea to come up with a nice enough phrase. "Different."

 _Different_ was a word Danny was familiar with. And he was familiar with what it really meant.

And Dorathea was absolutely correct.


	15. Chapter 15

" _I thought I told you to watch him."_

" _I_ am. _"_

" _Then how was I not informed –?!"_

" _I was_ getting _to it."_

" _Do not waste my time like this again. Now leave."_

* * *

Danny never quite made it to the library. Instead, he found a sitting room where he and Dorathea spent the whole afternoon talking. She told him of her kingdom, of her brother.

"You never told me you were a princess!" Danny had yelped, face stricken. He had tried to stammer an apology, cycling through every royal address as he tried desperately not to offend her.

But Dorathea had been unable to control her laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks as she begged Danny to calm down. "I've told you, I have no country nor people here. 'Princess' is a title I abandoned when I crossed the veil."

And when he had asked why, the mirth in her eyes had died, the joy in her stance melting away.

"I was born with the lowest status a royal could have – second born and a woman. My brother was heir to the throne, and I couldn't even achieve the title of 'spare'.

"My mother died giving birth to me, and our father died in an... _accident_." Her tone made it clear it was no accident. "And my brother was crowned King when he was thirteen, though it would have been easier to call him 'tyrant'. If there was even a suspicion of an uprising, he would burn the village to the ground. Men were either forced to be soldiers or strung up on the castle walls. Women were turned into maids or concubines and children were set in chains and sold to shops.

"I remember being a child, and seeing the sky light up with the colorful lights during festivals. I remember the wonderful scent of vendors that would line the roads. I remember hearing the sounds of children laughing, of men and women coupling where they believed they wouldn't be discovered. But my brother put an end to all that. The only celebration he would allow was for the day of his ascension – the day our father was declared dead.

"Our inheritance, the only thing of value I was allowed to hold onto and the only thing I owned of my mother's, was a charmed amulet. It gave me the ability to transform into a dragon, to feel the strength of magical fire and the peace of the wind beneath my wings. Before I was born, my mother had it engraved." She cupped her hands, looking at the emptiness between them. " _Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing higher, nothing stronger, nothing larger, nothing more joyful, nothing fuller, and nothing better in heaven or on earth._

"I wish desperately that I had gotten to know her voice, to hear those words come from her own lips. Instead, I only know my brother's sneer as he read the words after he stole the amulet from 'round my throat.

"He stole it because he was afraid of the power, I've since learned. He couldn't transform as well as I. He couldn't control the fire in his belly nor could he command the strength his wings needed to lift him from the ground. But at the time I was fully afraid of him, cowed to his will. I believed the threats he made to flay my scales and rend my flesh.

"It wasn't long before he had grown tired of the village women. He used them until they broke and then disposed of them in ways I still have nightmares about. On my sixteenth birthday, I... he..."

Danny had reached out, held her hands while she wept.

"I knew I could never let that happen again. When he tried again, I claimed I was sick. It was risky. I knew he would rather dispose of me than allow my pregnancy, for an heir would only remind him of his own mortality and the horrifying truth of what he did to our father. I waited until it was dark, until he had taken another woman into his room. I didn't pack anything, I took nothing from the kitchen. I couldn't see anything further than escaping _that_ _night_.

"I had luck on my side that night. The moon was full, and I was able to slip through the village to the forest where the veil was weakest. I used a faerie circle, it was only one step and I had gone from there to here, but I had no idea where _here_ was. I wandered through the forest, cold and alone in the snow. I could feel the dragon fire within me, but it was quickly becoming extinguished.

"But I didn't care, you see. I was _free_. For the first time I could exist without fear, without pain. Even if I had fallen and died where I stood, I would have gone happily into that dark embrace.

"I could see through the snow, a building. It looked familiar, so much so I was almost afraid to approach it. But I knew that none could be so bad as my brother, and despite my acceptance, I wasn't ready to lay down and die. So I approached, I made myself as humble as possible, ready to beg for a single night."

She had smiled at Danny, taking in his enraptured expression. This was her favorite part of her own story. "A man came to the door. I couldn't even get a word out before he took me inside. He set me by the fire. He brought me blankets and hot tea. It was so funny, when he tried to stoke the fire, he added unready, green wood. It burst into smoke in his face and he fell back, eyebrows burnt to cinders. I was frightened he would be hurt or angry, but he just started laughing."

Dorathea had smiled, a somber expression that didn't quite reach her eyes. "We laughed a lot back then... I told him I had no where to go, and he insisted I stay. I didn't want to be a burden, but he told me that a single man in such a large home would never see a young woman such as myself as a bother. And, as he had cared for me that night, I began to care for him. I prepared his meals, I ensured he slept in his bed instead of at his workbench. He never once looked down upon me and even insisted on calling me by my title. It was... It still is the best time of my life, those early days here."

Danny had frowned, thinking silently for a long time, before he'd spoken quietly, "You're talking about Vlad, aren't you? What happened to him? How can you see him as this nice guy when all he's been to me is cruel?"

"This curse has drained him It has taken the good from his soul and left him bitter and alone. But I know, somewhere inside, is the same man who saved me. Just... give him a chance, Danny. Please."

* * *

Dorathea's story stuck in his mind as she led him down the long hallways that evening. How terrible was this curse for it to render the happy and kind man Dorathea knew down to the angry monster that awaited him every night at dinner?

A mischievous glint entered Dorathea's eye, and she pressed a finger to her lips just outside the dining room. Danny barely managed to repress a smile at her childish display. It reminded him of when he was younger, and he and his sister would sneak out to the rooftop after bedtime.

"Just this one time," Jazz would tell him every time, with that same smile and that same wink that Dorathea was giving him.

Danny fought to control himself, to look as resigned and apprehensive as he usually did for these mandatory meals. He followed Dorathea, whispering a small thanks when she pulled out his chair. He tried not to watch her float across the dining hall and take her place standing by Vlad's side. The wine bottle he'd always thought had floated on its own was picked up, and she poured the tall specter his usual glass. The food appeared as it always did, suddenly and with a wave of delicious aroma that made Danny's mouth water, and he knew it was time when Dorathea winked.

"It looks very good, thank you, Princess Dorathea," Danny said with a warm smile.

And he knew he'd timed it perfectly when Vlad's eyes flew open and he spat his mouthful of wine halfway across the table. Dorathea almost dropped the bottle of wine, she was laughing so hard, and Danny _did_ fall out of his chair as he held his stomach.

Vlad stared between the two, mouth open in an undignified gape. It looked like he was attempting to speak, but all that came out was a small squeak.

"Lord Vlad, I apologize," Dorathea finally gasped as she fought to control herself. "But Danny and I formally met this morning, and he is so much as you once were, it was simply _overwhelming_ that I jest in such a way. Oh, my lord, you _must_ forgive me."

Danny managed to drag himself into his chair, cheeks flushed as he grinned. "You're not really going to be mad at her, are you?"

Vlad shut his mouth with a snap. He took a deep breath through his nose and forced his shoulders to relax. When his eyes felt as though they were no longer bulging from his head, he asked in a voice that barely trembled, "How has this happened?"

Danny, whose focus had shifted to the banquet before him, shrugged. "I dunno. I woke up this morning, and I could see and talk to Dorathea."

More or less. How horrifying would it have been if he'd seen her hovering over his bed that morning? He probably would have screamed.

Vlad shifted his gaze to Dorathea who looked rather uncertain. "I am unaware of what changed, my lord, but it is just as Danny said. I meant to inform you sooner, however we began to converse and I lost track of time."

Vlad looked to the table past his messy wine glass, ignoring the red stain from his most unseemly display of shock. He wondered what it meant, for Danny to be able to see fellow victims of the curse. The boy still breathed and ate, so he had not died and left the mortal realm behind. And he'd seemed just as surprised as Dorathea about the whole thing. Had the curse reached out to ensnare him as well? Was Danny now bound to this castle and those arbitrary rules that damned _djinni_ had placed?

Would now two women be snatched soon? Sisters in their mindlessness and their misery?

"How are you tonight?" Danny's voice broke into his thoughts, and it took Vlad a moment to recognize the words.

Why was he so eager to engage in conversation? Didn't he realize the severity of the situation he was now placed in?

"I am justifiably shocked," Vlad responded, his voice sounding quiet even to his own ears.

But Danny nodded in understanding, cutting a small potato into chunks. "I don't think it's really hit me. I mean, I talked to Dorathea all day, but, like. It all feels like a dream. Like I'm going to wake up soon and go back to being all alone all day."

Vlad nodded in a painful relation. All these years past felt like they were a waking nightmare. And if Danny should share it with him, would it make the burden feel less? Or would it increase the agony of knowing another was trapped here without hope?

"Are you ok?"

Vlad looked up finally, Danny's soft blue eyes on him, filled with worry as he bit into his dinner. Vlad hesitated, unsure if he wanted to be answered, but he asked softly, "The food. Do you still enjoy it?"

Did it taste like ash? Did water do nothing to quench the aching thirst inside? Did every breath feel stale? Did everything he touch feel rotten and broken?

Danny smiled warmly, lips wrapped around his fork. He swallowed and said, "It's delicious. It always has been."

Vlad nodded. For now, at least, the boy was fine.

Dorathea handed Vlad a new glass, smiling apologetically as she filled it. He wasn't angry with her, and would certainly laugh about it later, once he'd wrapped his mind around the concept of his victim being exposed to his servants. Danny hummed softly as he ate, out of tune and under his breath. He seemed unaware that he was doing it, and Vlad was reminded that Danny used to hum much more often when he'd first arrived at the castle.

He opened his mouth to ask what song it was, but the question that came out was simply, "Will you stay with me forever?"

And when Danny's response was a sad, "I want to help you," he knew.

The curse had not taken hold of the boy.

* * *

A/N: Oh no, I've reached the end of my buffer chapters~ I'm going to try and keep up with one chapter a week, but due to my crazy work schedule I might not be able to make it. But don't worry guys~ I have this whole thing planned out and I'm still excited to write on it!


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